trr@rayssd.UUCP (03/20/87)
I am considering purchasing a Sharp PC-7000 and would appreciate it if
someone who is familiar with it would answer some questions.
Compatibility
1. Will MS-DOS 3.x written for an IBM PC or XT run on the PC-7000?
2. What software does not run properly?
Assessment
What are the good points and bad points of the machine?
Thank you for your time.
Terry Raymond
trr@rayssd
--
Terry Raymond
Raytheon Submarine Signal Division; Portsmouth RI; (401)-847-8000 x5597
smart mailer or arpanet: trr@rayssd.ray.com
old dumb mailer or uucp: {cbosgd,gatech,ihnp4,linus!raybed2} !rayssd!trrwtm@neoucom.UUCP (03/26/87)
The Shrap 7000 is a pretty good little machine. The displya is a "normal" LCD rather than the newer super-twist type. The disply is quite readable when the backlight is turned on. The 7000 is very well designed for service by the user. The manual is THE best owner's guide I've witnessed for a personal computer. All the illustrations are very clear. I was impressed that Sharp is up fron about the fact that the expected lifetime of the backlight is "only" aobut 1500-2500 hours, depending on your preference for brightness. They also tell you that you can replace it yourself. I'm not quite sure where you'd get a replacement. You'd probably have to write directly to Sharp's US distributor. Most other computers, such as the Zenith 181 have to go back to the factory for replacement of the display. The 7000 has two built in 5.25 inch drives. The CPU is an 8086 that runs at 7.xx MHz. This makes the mahcine pretty fast. I haven't run into any software compatibility problems, and it's run everything I've given it. I suppose some copy proof junk might crash due to the higher CPU speed. The standard memory is 256K, but you can up it to a full 640 without much hassle, as the chip sockets are already there for the extra memory. 150 nS 41-256 chips are what it uses if my recollection is correct. It should cost you about $40 to put in the full memory. I've seen the 7000 going for as little as $775 or so via mail order, which makes it very good in computing power for dollar spent. Sharp is supposed to be selling a 7000A in the near future; I was told that it should have a super-twist disply. You might actually save some bucks by buying the 7000 then upgrading it with a new display panel-- though I don't exactly what the procedure would be. --Bill Bill Mayhew Division of Basic Medical Sciences Northeastern Ohio Universities' College of Medicine Rootstown, OH 44272 USA phone: 216-325-2511 (wtm@neoucom.UUCP ...!cbatt!neoucom!wtm)