mbm@cs.nott.ac.uk (Mike Miller) (01/10/91)
Can anybody provide an objective view/review of the two new OSK machines, the MM/1 and the Frank Hogg Labs TC machine. I'd like to import one to the UK, but I need to know a bit more than the press releases say. For a start, are the machines available yet... does anybody have experience of using them, and what are the current US prices? Followup to this newsgroup preferably... I'm sure there must be some other people who are interested. Mike Miller
cocoiii@hobbes.ncsu.edu (John Vestal) (01/10/91)
The TC-70, and the MM/1 are both in the soon to be shipped
catagory. I know that the MM/1 will be shipped in kits starting
somewhere around a week, or so. The TC-70 I don't know, but I haven't
heard of anyone who even has one of these. I know a couple of
developers on the MM/1, and the OS is very stable. There will be a
lot of PD stuff include with the MM/1. From what I have seen, and
heard Interactive Media Systems (MM/1 people) are trying there hardest
to get a lot of useful applications on the MM/1. Frank Hogg
Labratories (sp) hasn't done that much in the way of getting machine
for developers to work on. The MM/1 has more standard features than
the TC-70. You can get almost everything, if not everything, that is
in the MM/1 on the TC-70 at extra charge. I'm not surre how much it
really matters, but the MM/1 has a 32 bit bus, and the TC-70 has only
a 16 bit bus. These are all the differences that I know of. I
personally am going to get an MM/1, you'd have never guessed 8-), but
I have tried to be as objective as possible. If you have any
questions, just send me some e-mail.
Hope this helps,
cocoiii (John Vestal)
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* cocoiii@catt.ncsu.edu Phone: (919) 831-2890 North Carolina State *
* John Vestal P.O. Box 21537 Raleigh, NC 27607 University *
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* cocoiii@catt.ncsu.edu Phone: (919) 831-2890 North Carolina State *
* John Vestal P.O. Box 21537 Raleigh, NC 27607 University *
******************************************************************************kdarling@hobbes.ncsu.edu (Kevin Darling) (01/11/91)
> Can anybody provide an objective view/review of the two new OSK > machines, the MM/1 and the Frank Hogg Labs TC machine. > For a start, are the machines available yet... does anybody have > experience of using them, and what are the current US prices? Here's what I can dig up from announcements/ads (warning: long). DELMAR.... 302-378-2555 The System-IV uses a 16Mhz 68000. Seven PC/XT slots (two used by WD hard disk and VGA cards). RTC. PC/AT keyboard included. Two parallel ports, 4 serial. Space for 4M RAM, expandable with board in special connector to 12M. Model K401-v w/4M RAM, 40M HD, VGA: $2000. Model K402-v w/1M RAM, VGA: $1500. Monochrome Hercules card $100 less. Comes in AT case. Pro OSK included. Made by Peripheral Technology. FHL.... 315-469-7364...... The TC9 card uses a 2Mhz 6809E and a GIME video chip. Supports up to 1meg RAM, has 2 serial, 1 parallel, PC keybd port, 8-bit A/D/A. Has a coco bus; not sure about slot count or options there. About the size of a 5" drive. It can plug into a K-bus backplane, and act as peripheral(s) for a 68K card on the bus. Board price: $300 w/0K. W/mini-tower case and 512K: $500. The TC70 uses the 68070/VSC chip set at 15Mhz. It can plug into the K-bus. Comes with Pro OSK and 1.5M RAM, expandable to 14M via K-bus memory cards. PC-AT keybd port. 3 serial ports, 1 parallel. DMA floppy and SCSI. 8-bit A/D/A. RTC. Optional palette card. Mouse port. I think board is $1000. With case/one floppy: $1400 on sale. K-Bus cards: 4-slot bus: $60. 16-slot: $290. 2-meg DRAM (0/K) card: $300. 4-port serial: $250. 4-port parallel: $150. 68881 (math) card: $300. 68030 card: $800. Prices may have come down due to competition. IMS.... 202-232-4246 (orders) The MM/1 uses the 68070/VSC chip set at 15Mhz. Cards are 4x8" or so. The first contains the cpu/video, 2 serial ports, single-bit sound, DMA hidens floppy port, PC/XT keybd port, 1M RAM, Pro OSK included, some utils and debugger in ROM. Neither the TC70 nor MM/1 come with keyboard or mouse, btw; you buy the PC ones you like (or from them). Oh, and first card includes a 24-bit (8-bits each RGB) palette controller. Second board has RTC, SCSI, 2 parallel, 3 serial, dual channel DMAable 8-bit A/D/A, two SIMM (mac/pc) RAM sockets = expansion to 3M or 9M total. Normal price w/low-profile case/power/hidens 3.5" drive is $780, with both boards: $1125. Limited time kit offer right now is both boards for $875; case/power: $100; 2M expansion RAM: $150. MISC: To the best of my knowledge, the MM/1 will ship in earnest the first week of Feb... the TC70 card just before or around that time... and the TC9 card in a coupla months (or perhaps sooner; depends on software). The SYS-IV has been shipping for a few months. The only system I have personal experience with is the MM/1, starting with a prototype from early last year. I've been working on windowing software using the MM/1; so far DELMAR and Hazelwood (they make the TC70) haven't offered any units for ports. MM/1 developer units have been in the hands of Mike Haaland for paint programs, Mike Knudsen for MIDI, Mark Griffith for UUCP, et al for a coupla months... I think they read here. What can I say? It's lotsa fun; I stopped using my ST/OSK a while back. We've been porting Amiga animations and all sorts of sounds to the MM/1 since last September. I think all the new machines are neat. best - kev <kdarling@catt.ncsu.edu> or <76703.4227@compuserve.com>
kdarling@hobbes.ncsu.edu (Kevin Darling) (01/16/91)
Ooops. Additional info: that special kit price on the MM/1 includes one 3.5" 1.44Meg floppy drive also. (see previous article)