01659@AECLCR.BITNET (Greg Csullog) (05/08/89)
I posted the Atari press release about the Portfolio on our company's BBS and one user flamed it too death. (He also said the Mac, Atari and Commodore systems were passe!!!!!). I replied on the BBS that I used to carry a Zenith laptop on business (try lugging 15 lbs of micro from the Washington airport to the Metro) but I have gone back to the Radio Shack Model 100 our group bought years ago. All I do on trips is write reports and the Model 100 is great and LIGHT. I applaud the Portfolio concept since a lightweight notetaker is great. The hell with a 10 or 20 meg drive over the shoulder. Give me a RAM based system anyday. The only advantage the Model 100 has over the Portfolio is a built in 300 baud modem and an easy to use upload/download utility. Before someone flames a 300 baud modem - I wrote my last report on the plane from Las Vegas to Chicago (and downed a brew from Chicago to Toronto), I got to my office at 11;00 a.m. the next business day, I unplugged my SL/1 (Northern Telecom digital modem) from my 1040ST and hooked up the Model 100, I started the xfer to our VAX and went for a coffee, came back and logged onto the VAX with my 1040 and touched up the document, printed out and FAXed the report to Denver by noon. Hey, the system worked and I did not get a dislocated shoulder! If the Portfolio can dump to my ST easily then I look forward to getting one (even though it is a dreaded MessyDOS system). Hey did you see Current Notes for May; it says the new STacy has an internal slot for Spectre 128 (love it, the first portable Mac!)
NETOPRHM@NCSUVM.BITNET (Hal Meeks) (05/09/89)
That's great, I'm very happy for you. I recommend you take a peek at the keyboard before you think of doing serious notetaking on it, though. One more time - Take a look at the Cambridge Z81. It's going to be the Portfolio's competition, and I can't honestly say that the Portfolio is, although I think it certainly has a strong enough niche for it to be profitable. Disclaimer - I have played with a Cambridge just briefly, and have read serveral write ups on it. But I am thinking very strongly of buying one. --hal