25 Feb
2003
25 Feb
'03
2:58 p.m.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeffrey Sharp" <jss(a)subatomix.com>
To: <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2003 11:32 PM
Subject: Re: Check out this TI99/4 on eBay
On Tuesday, February 25, 2003, TeoZ wrote:
It wouldnt surprise me how cheap they were. Unlike today where people
upgrade computers every year back then people actually used them for a few
years. Having a comfortable keyboard to type in basic programs out of a
magazine would be high on my list of things to look for back then. Just to
let you know the machine I am typing on now has 2 keyboards, 1 is a Gateway
USB keyboard I got from compgeeks that has a logitech optical mouse and
wingman digital usb joystick attached (for games) and an old Northgate
Omnikey/102 keyboard I got new with my first 386 that I do 90% of my typing
on. The gateway was maybe $20 new and for the most part is disposable, while
the Northgate cost me $70-80 back in the early 90's and goes for quite a few
dollars even today on ebay.
Its funny to me how a computer with a crappy
keyboard like that model is
worth so much more then the better later version with a proper keyboard.
I took apart one of the ones I sold. I was appalled by the cheap
construction of the keyboard, especially the flimsy way the space bar was
mounted.
--
Jeffrey Sharp