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Date   : Tue, 03 Mar 1987 18:54:03 GMT
From   : ucsdhub!jack!man!crash!victoro@sdcsvax.ucsd.edu (Dr. Snuggles)
Subject: Re: Tandy Model 4 Misinformation

In article <8703022358.AA23688@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> 7GMADISO@POMONA.BITNET
writes:
>
>Kevin J. Belles made some rather mis-informed comments about the
>Tandy model 4 recently.  While it is true that for some time the
>standard configuration of a Model 4 was SS drives, the CURRENT
>machines from Tandy have DS drives; also, many if not most of the
>used machines have been upgraded by their previous owner to
>DS drives.

Quite correct.  In fact, that was my immediate responce to Kevin when I saw
his first posting. (If you'll note we are both on the same Unix box..)  I
am currently using my Tandy 4p with MM CP/M with the extra 64K of memory.
I have not yet saved sufficently to upgrade my drives to DSDD, but it
should be noted that the MM Config file allows the current hardware to run
SSSD SSDD DSDD DSQD and 8" formats.  I have also been told that 3.5" drives
are available that are electrically identical to 5.25" drives..

>
>The banks switching is 'weird', you say??  It is simply controlled
>by 4 bits in $OPREG (the Option Register), which is directly linked
>to CPU port 84H.  It's more complex to explain than it is to use.
>

There are also expansion kits to add 1 Meg of memory to the 4/4p/4D.
There are also speedup kits to 6 and 8 Mhz, and a daughter board that runs
that new Hitachi chip and 256K of memory directly addressed. (There have
been postings here on it...)

>
>The Model 4 is not JUST a CP/M machine, it is much MORE.  I don't
>deny that it has its quirks -- no machine lacks them.  However, I
>DO assert that it is distinctly superior to machines like the
>Kaypro, which are virtually being ignored by Kaypro.  The 4 is no
>longer Tandy's showpiece, but it is still supported.
>
>                  George Madison  (7GMADISO@POMONA.BITNET)

-- 
Victor O'Rear {hplabs!hp-sdd, akgua, sdcsvax, nosc}!crash!victoro
ARPA: crash!victoro@nosc and the Byte Information eXchange [victoro]

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