Buying a new computer

I've pretty much decided to go with the fastest processor and the most RAM
I can get in, also with a large hard drive.
My real question is the modem.
Internal or external modem? (There's a pretty big price difference.)
Is high speed worth the difference?

I came across my January 1988 copy of Byte last night.
The fastest processor was the 386.
2 Mb of RAM.
40 Mb hard drive - $459.00 (I paid $2500.00 for 5 Mb a few years earlier.)
The modem was 179 internal or 239 external for 2400 baud.

But I'm still looking for old Bytes. Back in the day when a new 64k CP/M
machine cost $4,000.00 and one that was used ( burned in for 48 hours or
more) was $5,000.00



--
Josh of San Diego (now 15) speaks out again
Josh of San Diego (14) speaks out!
http://www.crcsandiego.org/voices.htm

"Mike Painter" wrote in message
...

I came across my January 1988 copy of Byte last night. . . .
But I'm still looking for old Bytes. Back in the day when a new 64k CP/M
machine cost $4,000.00 and one that was used ( burned in for 48 hours or
more) was $5,000.00

You may have to look earlier than the first Byte. In 1983 64k CP/M
machines cost $2,000 (including free software suites for Kaypro and
Osborne.)

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

Mike Painter wrote:

My real question is the modem.
Internal or external modem? (There's a pretty big price difference.)
Is high speed worth the difference?


Are you discussing dialup networking in the above statement ?
Dialup has been stuck at 56K for some time. Virtually any modem
is going to offer you the same 5KB/sec practical download speed on a
dialup line.

Modem choices include internal or external, Winmodem or with separate
data pump. In some tests I conducted on a relative's computer, it
turned out that the Winmodem was every bit as good as the
modem with a data pump (which makes a big difference in
price). Your new computer will not be constrained by CPU performance,
so if the modem is dependent on DSP code to do the modem operations,
you won't even notice.

The most important decision in buying a Winmodem, is the quality of
the driver. Try to find reviews that indicate whether the included
driver is any good or not. Most of the value of a Winmodem is in
the CD that accompanies it - if you see a Winmodem for sale that is
"white box" or "OEM", the CD may not be included. In some cases,
it can be pretty difficult, to dig up the right driver, when
buying such an item. So ensuring it comes with a driver or that
a driver is available, is part of your pre-purchase decision.

With the bloat in software, drivers, and media content, a dialup
modem is hardly practical. In rural areas, if all else fails, perhaps
a satellite service (with limited download cap), will at least
give decent speeds when downloading necessary items. If you wanted
to "watch TV" over the Internet, and you live in a rural area,
there may not be any option which is cost effective at doing that.

Paul

"Mike Painter" wrote:

I've pretty much decided to go with the fastest processor and the most RAM
I can get in, also with a large hard drive.
My real question is the modem.
Internal or external modem? (There's a pretty big price difference.)

Mike - If you ever want to expand your horizon beyond Windows, do NOT
buy a winmodem.

I don't think it makes much difference between internal or external.
(Winmodems are internal BTW.)

TomT

Don Phillipson wrote:
"Mike Painter" wrote in message
...

I came across my January 1988 copy of Byte last night. . . .
But I'm still looking for old Bytes. Back in the day when a new 64k
CP/M machine cost $4,000.00 and one that was used ( burned in for 48
hours or more) was $5,000.00

You may have to look earlier than the first Byte. In 1983 64k CP/M
machines cost $2,000 (including free software suites for Kaypro and
Osborne.)

Byte started in 1975 and in 1978, a few months before the First Radio Shack
hit the streets, a friend built a 64k machine with an ASR-33 for I/O. It
cost him about $12,000.00 for the kit. He soldered every socket and chip on
the board.

I had about $2500.00 into my Radio Shack Model one by the time I bought my
first Osborne, which was right after they started bundling dBase II with it.

The industry, such as it was, had been saying for a couple years that
economy of scale would allow the type of price drop that happened when
Tandy, PET and Apple hit the market.

TomT wrote:
"Mike Painter" wrote:

I've pretty much decided to go with the fastest processor and the
most RAM I can get in, also with a large hard drive.
My real question is the modem.
Internal or external modem? (There's a pretty big price difference.)

Mike - If you ever want to expand your horizon beyond Windows, do NOT
buy a winmodem.

I don't think it makes much difference between internal or external.
(Winmodems are internal BTW.)

TomT

Ummm, did you notice I mentioned a 2400 baud modem costing over $200.00 as
the high speed choice?
Or that the prices came from my copy of a 21 year old magazine, Byte,
Janyary 1988.

On Feb 14, 5:06 pm, "Mike Painter" wrote:
TomT wrote:
"Mike Painter" wrote:

I've pretty much decided to go with the fastest processor and the
most RAM I can get in, also with a large hard drive.
My real question is the modem.
Internal or external modem? (There's a pretty big price difference.)

Mike - If you ever want to expand your horizon beyond Windows, do NOT
buy a winmodem.

I don't think it makes much difference between internal or external.
(Winmodems are internal BTW.)

TomT

Ummm, did you notice I mentioned a 2400 baud modem costing over $200.00 as
the high speed choice?
Or that the prices came from my copy of a 21 year old magazine, Byte,
Janyary 1988.

First pre-US Robotics Hayes I saw, 1200, was being sold $200 used by a
member at a computer meeting. 300BAUD direct-coupled acoustical being
the next step down. Internal PCI slotted, ported USB or parallel
external, Win or not to Win, Diamond Supra or a Zoom. The arrays are
blinding.

-
Robot [Czechoslovakian, lit. translation:] Time to get your lazy
asses in gear and unite, worthless idlers, and goto work for the
greater glory of solidarity.

"Don Phillipson" wrote in message
...
"Mike Painter" wrote in message
...

I came across my January 1988 copy of Byte last night. . . .
But I'm still looking for old Bytes. Back in the day when a new 64k CP/M
machine cost $4,000.00 and one that was used ( burned in for 48 hours or
more) was $5,000.00

You may have to look earlier than the first Byte. In 1983 64k CP/M
machines cost $2,000 (including free software suites for Kaypro and
Osborne.)

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)



Right now I'm looking at the July '77 issue, and on pages 22 - 24
they're introducing the Apple II. Starting at $1298.00 with 4K, up to
$2638.00 with 48K. Additional RAM available at $600 per 16K.

Here's another one:
Digital Research CP/M System Diskette and complete set of 6
manuals for $70.00.

Ian D wrote:
"Don Phillipson" wrote in message
...
"Mike Painter" wrote in message
...

I came across my January 1988 copy of Byte last night. . . .
But I'm still looking for old Bytes. Back in the day when a new 64k
CP/M machine cost $4,000.00 and one that was used ( burned in for
48 hours or more) was $5,000.00

You may have to look earlier than the first Byte. In 1983 64k CP/M
machines cost $2,000 (including free software suites for Kaypro and
Osborne.)

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)



Right now I'm looking at the July '77 issue, and on pages 22 - 24
they're introducing the Apple II. Starting at $1298.00 with 4K, up to
$2638.00 with 48K. Additional RAM available at $600 per 16K.

Here's another one:
Digital Research CP/M System Diskette and complete set of 6
manuals for $70.00.

Check the small back page ads for CP/M systems.
Remember that $70.00 for an OS was a good chunk of change back then.

"Mike Painter" wrote in message
...
Ian D wrote:
"Don Phillipson" wrote in message
...
"Mike Painter" wrote in message
...

I came across my January 1988 copy of Byte last night. . . .
But I'm still looking for old Bytes. Back in the day when a new 64k
CP/M machine cost $4,000.00 and one that was used ( burned in for
48 hours or more) was $5,000.00

You may have to look earlier than the first Byte. In 1983 64k CP/M
machines cost $2,000 (including free software suites for Kaypro and
Osborne.)

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)



Right now I'm looking at the July '77 issue, and on pages 22 - 24
they're introducing the Apple II. Starting at $1298.00 with 4K, up to
$2638.00 with 48K. Additional RAM available at $600 per 16K.

Here's another one:
Digital Research CP/M System Diskette and complete set of 6
manuals for $70.00.

Check the small back page ads for CP/M systems.
Remember that $70.00 for an OS was a good chunk of change back then.


But at least you generally got full documentation. Now you get a
..pdf file if you're lucky, and some documentation will cost a pack
of paper and a good chunk of a toner cartridge.