mikes@pedsga.UUCP (Mike Shulman) (08/19/89)
Hello everyone!
I've been considering getting a mega ST for a while now. Well, next week
I will be going to Germany for 2 weeks and I was wondering....
I've heard that ST's are MUCH cheaper in Germany then in US. Is that
true? If it is, would it take much to get a German-made ST to work in US?
Would it simply involve moving some jumper on the mother board from 50
to 60 Hz? What about the monitor (color and mono)? I presume all the docs
will be in German, but I guess I could photocopy them from somebody here
in US. What about OS prompts, error messages, etc. Will they all be in
German as well? Can that be changed?
Is there anything else I am missing? Does anybody know what's the
$ limit on "souvenirs" you can bring back to US before you have to pay a
tarrif?
These questions are probably just hypothetical, since after paying
for this Europe trip I will not be able to afford a new computer.
(Unless one of you German STers can recommend a REALLY cheap store
that takes credit cards. I will definitely be in Frankfurt and Berlin.
I'll also be traveling all over Europe on Eurail pass, so no city
is out of reach!)
Thanks in advance for your responses!
Mike
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Mike Shulman <Insert your favorite disclaimer here>
UUCP: princeton!rutgers!petsd!pedsga!mikes
Internet: mikes@tinton.ccur.comstefan@yendor.phx.mcd.mot.com (Stefan Loesch) (08/22/89)
In article <959@pedsga.UUCP> mikes@pedsga.UUCP (Mike Shulman,SPCSYS,7586) writes: >I've heard that ST's are MUCH cheaper in Germany then in US. Is that Don't know about that, maybe. >true? If it is, would it take much to get a German-made ST to work in US? >Would it simply involve moving some jumper on the mother board from 50 >to 60 Hz? What about the monitor (color and mono)? I presume all the docs >will be in German, but I guess I could photocopy them from somebody here >in US. What about OS prompts, error messages, etc. Will they all be in >German as well? Can that be changed? Don't worry about hertz -> they don't count. Docu, system prompts and so on will be (partially as far as I remember) in German, but it shouldn't be to difficult to understand them. You always can ask somebody on the net (me, for example, I'm German ). > Is there anything else I am missing? Does anybody know what's the Sure is. You forgot the different voltages and power connectors. I moved to the US a year ago from Germany, and brought my (German) 1040 Atari with me. What I did was quite simple: I ran a power line from my 220 V power outlet for the dryer to my office. There I connected a multi outlet box. Then I bought some cables in a hardware store (I had to look a little to find them) which have the US power plug on one side (the side that goes into the multi outlet box), and a special female connector on the other side, where the German plugs of 1040 , harddisk, printer and monitor fit in. I'll give it a try on a drawing (with sizes about right, view from the front): /--------------\ | ( ) ( ) | \--------------/ I understand, that this connectors are used in the use for some to me unknown purpose. The German plugs fit in, not exactely, but rather good. I had no problems with that setup ever since. Hope that helps Stefan stefan@mcdphx mcdphx!motpdq!stefan
hase@netmbx.UUCP (Hartmut Semken) (08/23/89)
In article <959@pedsga.UUCP> mikes@pedsga.UUCP (Mike Shulman,SPCSYS,7586) writes: > I've been considering getting a mega ST for a while now. Well, next week >I will be going to Germany for 2 weeks and I was wondering.... >I've heard that ST's are MUCH cheaper in Germany then in US. Is that >true? Dunno. The 1040 is about DM 1000 ($ 500) without monitor. >If it is, would it take much to get a German-made ST to work in US? Its easy: just change the power supply. So do not buy a 1040, get an 520. The 512K-memory upgrade boards are about DM 70 ($35) (no RAM), RAM chips are cheaper in USA... 2-Meg-boards are DM 250 (empty). The german TOS is german :-). You could get an american TOS in he states (put it in 6 EPROMS). Well, adding the ST, the power supply and the TOS EPROMS it will probably not be worth the effort... hase -- Hartmut Semken, Lupsteiner Weg 67, 1000 Berlin 37 hase@netmbx.UUCP Dennis had stepped up into the top seat whet its founder had died of a lethal overdose of brick wall, taken while under the influence of a Ferrari and a bottle of tequila. (Douglas Adams; the long dark teatime...)
root@yale.UUCP (Root Of All Evil) (08/23/89)
In article <11490@yendor.phx.mcd.mot.com> stefan@yendor.UUCP (0000-Admin) writes: >In article <959@pedsga.UUCP> mikes@pedsga.UUCP (Mike Shulman,SPCSYS,7586) writes: >>I've heard that ST's are MUCH cheaper in Germany then in US. Is that > >Don't know about that, maybe. > >>true? If it is, would it take much to get a German-made ST to work in US? >>Would it simply involve moving some jumper on the mother board from 50 >>to 60 Hz? What about the monitor (color and mono)? I presume all the docs >>will be in German, but I guess I could photocopy them from somebody here >>in US. What about OS prompts, error messages, etc. Will they all be in >>German as well? Can that be changed? > >Don't worry about hertz -> they don't count. Docu, system prompts and so >on will be (partially as far as I remember) in German, but it shouldn't >be to difficult to understand them. You always can ask somebody on the >net (me, for example, I'm German ). > >> Is there anything else I am missing? Does anybody know what's the You should also be aware that the German TOS and keyboards are different. The German keyboard has an extra key at the left end of the bottom row that is not present on U.S. machines, the letters "y" and "z" are interchanged, and many of the special characters are in different positions. Also, the desktop's menus, error messages, etc. are in German. It is possible (with appropriate software) to redefine the keyboard translation tables so that the keyboard works more or less like the US keyboard, but then the keycaps will be wrong. Alternatively, you can replace the ROMs with US ROMs and then it should work exactly like the US machine (ignoring the extra key), but the keycaps will still be wrong. Another possible hitch is the FCC regulations on RF emissions. I don't know if the German ST's have the same shielding as the US machines and whether they meet the FCC requirements. If not, it's conceivable you could have trouble bringing it into this country. ================================================== | Michael Fischer | | Arpanet: <fischer-michael@cs.yale.edu> | | Bitnet: <fischer-michael@yalecs.bitnet> | | UUCP: <fischer-michael@yale.UUCP> | ==================================================
roland@cochise (08/24/89)
hase@netmbx.UUCP (Hartmut Semken) writes: >Dunno. The 1040 is about DM 1000 ($ 500) without monitor. _cheapest_ offer I saw ( yesterday ) ST 520 DM 395.- Monitor DM 295.- Floppy DM 249.- which makes about DM 950.- for a minimal system ( about 500 $, this includes 14 % VAT )
hase@netmbx.UUCP (Hartmut Semken) (08/27/89)
In article <70411@yale-celray.yale.UUCP> fischer-michael@CS.YALE.EDU (Michael Fischer) writes: >You should also be aware that the German TOS and keyboards are >different. The German keyboard has an extra key at the left end of >the bottom row that is not present on U.S. machines, the letters "y" >and "z" are interchanged, and many of the special characters are in >different positions. That would be the main problem... >Another possible hitch is the FCC regulations on RF emissions. Mhh, that is definitely no problem. The German rules for "Stoerfestigkeit" and "Hochfrequenzabstrahlung" (RF emission) are a little harder than FCC rules: 'meets FCC rules' does not mean, you'll get approval by the Bundespost. Comparing a german and a british ST (520 STMs), I would say, the german one is shielded somewhat better (filter circurits on all lines to external connectors; missing in british model etc.) hase -- Hartmut Semken, Lupsteiner Weg 67, 1000 Berlin 37 hase@netmbx.UUCP Dennis had stepped up into the top seat whet its founder had died of a lethal overdose of brick wall, taken while under the influence of a Ferrari and a bottle of tequila. (Douglas Adams; the long dark teatime...)