31 Jul
2013
31 Jul
'13
12:43 p.m.
On Wed, 31 Jul 2013, Chuck Guzis wrote:
Alas TRS-80 RAM 'kits' cotnained 8 chips... Of coruse if you dealt with a
suppleir who sodle the loose chips you could buy the required 9 of them.
Some years later over here wer had the Amstrad PCW machines. Some of
those came with 256K RA Mas standard (no partiy, just 8 41256-like ICs)
and could be upgraded to 512K by plugging in another 8 similar ICs. Some
suppliers sold RAM upgrad kits for said machines which included an extra
chip to practice putting into the socket. Needless to say these kits were
just re-labeleld sets of 9 DRAMs for PC upgrades with a sheet of
instructions).
I don't know about Europe, but it was the
minimum configuration
sold--you built onto it when purchasing it. I purchased mine as a 16KB,
and added onto it at the store (ComputerLand). As I recall, the base
16KB unit was about $1000 at stores.
$1320 (or maybe it was $1365 (unrefreshed dynamic wetware))
It had one row of SOLDERED IN 16K, and 3 rows of sockets.
9 chips per row - IBM went with Parity from the start.
IBM wanted LOTS of money for each row of 16K RAM, but it took the same
ones as TRS80, where there was an intense market competition.
FDC was about $300, plus a couple of TRS80 drives (also intense
aftermarket competition) Use the Tandon, NOT the Shugard SA400!!
Video card was about $300.
CGA let you use a $100 CCTV monitor, or even a Sup'R'ModII RF modulator to
the Phildco in the living room.
There was even the right connector on the SGA board for said modulator,
complete with power connections.
-tony