The trials of a new home computer
Article Abstract:
A thing of beauty may be a joy forever, as Keats would have it, but a state-of-the-art microcomputer is definitely not. Whatever pleasure was felt witnessing a newly-purchased 33-MHz Intel 80386-based machine run rings around the 16-MHz 80286 system it was replacing fades from memory as 66-MHz 486s become common but a few years later. Commodity fetishism and the emulative drive conspire to provoke a purchase at last, and a Zeos International 486DX2/66 arrives eight business days after ordering. The old 286 with its 30Mbyte hard disk is retired, the 386 with its 80Mbyte drive moves into its room and the new Zeos 486 endowed with a full 528Mbytes of hard-disk storage assumes the place of honor, yet refuses to boot up. Why bother with manuals when a toll-free call to Zeos customer support offers immediate gratification? After a couple of tries a loose cable is reseated, the Zeos boots smartly and beauty reigns again, for a time, in the home office.
Publication Name: The New York Times
Subject: News, opinion and commentary
ISSN: 0362-4331
Year: 1993
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A computer in the hand...
Article Abstract:
The $399.95 Atari Portfolio is a laptop computer about the size of a videocassette. It weighs 1 pound, is powered by three AA batteries, has 128Kbytes of memory and a light emitting diode display that requires good lighting to be seen. The Portfolio has no disk drives and has five built-in applications, including a spreadsheet, a text editor, a calculator, a diary and an address book. The biggest problem with the Portfolio is the keyboard, which has 63 calculator-style keys arranged like a typewriter keyboard. Touch typing is almost impossible. The best use for the Portfolio is as a peripheral, allowing users to enter data on the road and then transfer it to their main computer later. A $49.95 parallel interface and a $79.95 serial interface are available, as are memory cards costing between $79.95 and $199.95.
Publication Name: The New York Times
Subject: News, opinion and commentary
ISSN: 0362-4331
Year: 1989
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9 ounces of agile memory, to go
Article Abstract:
Psion Inc's Psion Series 3 microcomputer is a small, portable computer that integrates a variety of different applications and has very small power requirements. The Series 3 measures 6.5 inches by 3.3 inches by 0.9 inches, and weighs nine ounces. It comes with seven programs including word processing, data base, schedule manager, calculator, communications link, world map and dialing capability, alarm clock and a program that allows users to write their own programs. The computer uses two AA batteries that last for months at a time. The screen, although small, is easy to read. The 58-key keyboard is almost standard size but is too small for touch typing. The Series 3 costs $445 for a 128Kbyte model and $545 for the 256Kbyte model. Cables, adaptors and solid state disks can be purchased separately.
Publication Name: The New York Times
Subject: News, opinion and commentary
ISSN: 0362-4331
Year: 1992
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