Undercolor/850103/News and Gossip

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UnderColor, Volume 1, Number 3, January 11, 1985

• Title: News and Gossip
• Author: Dennis Kitsz
• Synopsis: Hot off the modem.
• Page Scans: Link

Article

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*** NEWS FROM UNDER COLOR **** NEWS FOR UNDER THE COLORS ***

*****************Compiled December 24, 1984 ****************

** Send news to: Under Color, Box 6809, Roxbury, VT 05669 **

******************* CompuServe 70136,1257 ****************** ****************

******************************************* UNDER COLOR now confirms that the new Korean Color Computer uses a PIGGYBACK 64K UPGRADE ... according to a reliable source, Tandy saves over $10 on the l6K machine, which is where Tandy believes most purchasers will STOP, since Tandy figures to spend $5 more for every 64K upgrade on the new machines. Does Tandy believe that the Christmas KoKos will GET TOSSED IN THE CLOSET after a while? Watch for LOWER COST third—party upgrades soon ... it looks like SPECTRUM PROJECTS is leadingthe race to market a KoKo 64K upgrade.

* * * * *

By the way, QUANTITY COST of bulk 64K memories is WAY, WAY DOWN. A check of mid—December prices shows BRAND NEW 64K memories from OKI costing only $2.50 each in 500 quantities ... that's $20 a set. WANNA MAKE A BUNDLE? Used, tested 64K chips can be obtained for as little as $1.25 in 400 quantity. Get together 50 orders and PAY ONLY $l0 FOR A COMPLETE 64K UPGRADE. Remember 16K memories at $60 apiece? The price slide is happening to 64K's ... now that the 256K MEMORIES are being shipped at under $25 each.

* * * * *

And SPEAKING OE 256K, that's the maximum memory size of the almost-for-certain Color Computer '09. The so-called '09, at first victim of fits and starts, may be in the Radio Shack stores BEFORE MID—YEAR 1985. It is almost sure to have a 6809E processor, 128K MEMORY STANDARD expandable to 256K, 600 by 400 HIGH-RESOLUTION COLOR GRAPHICS, a 3 1/4" rigid floppy drive, direct-memory access along with LEVEL 2 OS—9 (supporting MULTI-USER capabilities), and a professional look. The price tag? WITHOUT A MONITOR, the rumor has the '09 coming in at $799. Is this a CHEVROLET COCO vs. a MERCEDES MACINTOSH?

* * * * *

What's the best $50 you can spend for software? A signup to CompuServe ... just to download MIKEYTERM, probably the finest Color Computer SMART TERMINAL PROGRAM you can't buy. Because IT'S FREE. Through the good will and generosity of programmer Mike "Guido" Ward, Mikeyterm has been released to the public domain. Initial users report that Mikeyterm IS AS GOOD AS ANY $250 TERMINAL PROGRAM ON THE MARKET. If you already use CompuServe, GO PCS-126 (The Color SIG) and get your hands on Mikeyterm.

* * * * *

Is there a l6/32—bit, 68000—BASED COMPUTER in your future?

Dennis Kitsz is fielding any and all IDEAS FROM COCO USERS in

search of the ultimately malleable personal computer. Dennis

says NO BELLS AND WHISTLES, just a basic, wide—open design with

lots of capability for expansion, plus l/2 MEGABYTE OF MEMORY.

Write: Dennis Kitsz, PROJECT 68000, Roxbury, Vermont 05669.

* * * * *

PCjr WINS HANDS DOWN, according to word from a well-known CoCo author. Last week he GAVE UP A COCO-PCjr COMPARISON STUDY because midway through, he began to feel that the COCO COULDN'T MEASURE UP, dollar for dollar, against the PCjr's new 1985 price breaks. Why did Dr. X can the project? "I didn't want to depress the CoCo faithful," he reported. The PCjr overtakes the CoCo as soon as you start to add peripherals, said Dr. X. UNDER COLOR is trying to convince him to RELEASE HIS FINDINGS anyway; readers wishing to have the report published please contact UNDER COLOR.

* * * * *

Please make the following additions and changes to your reference list from issue #1:

26-3005 Reserved (32K non-Extended Color Computer?)

26-3021 4-pin DIN to 5-pin DIN cable

26-3127 64K Extended Basic Color Computer 2, RF out

26-3128 64K Extended Basic Color Computer 2, NTSC out

26-3134A 16K "Korean" Basic (two 16Kx4 RAMs)

26-3136A 16K "Korean" Extended (two 16Kx4 RAMS)

* * * * *

COLOR MICRO JOURNAL, are you there? Two authors out looking for work called UNDER COLOR to say that CMJ was on the rocks. But as of this date NO CONFIRMATION of the demise of the newspaper-style CoCo publication was available. If CMJ goes, it will be the THIRD COCO MAG TO BITE THE DUST in recent times, along with Color Computer News and The Color Computer Magazine. Rumors of the death of Hot CoCo were FIRMLY SQUASHED once again by publisher Jeff DeTray. All the while, Lonnie Falk at The Rainbow relaxes in his easy chair, watching the unbecoming scuffle outside his office full of Southern hospitality. An update on CMJ will be provided in the next issue.

* * * * * HAPPY NEW YEAR $7C1 from all of us at UNDER COLOR.

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