Buzz #03 09 апреля 1997

Железо

Iron - How to choose a good home computer. PC / ZX?

                                                       R1



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               How to choose a home computer.

          (Observation seller with 10 years of experience)


                Comments made Rzhavelschik.


   More and more of our citizens think about the fact that the 
house requires a computer. Somebody wants to give it to her

Chad, who is something for ourselves (for rest, work or simply 
- as a tribute mode).


   Before them a wide choice: from the NES and Sega

   P> would find who first called it a PC ...

   to the PC and all sorts of Spectrum.

   Relative case by videopristavok the author clearly
backlash. Pity, if not his child, then at least
my purse!

   Sad spectacle is a child, days on the passage of "freaking"
cartoon enemies. Poverty theme games (mostly - fight)
pale complexion, and increased irritability of the child, not
let alone forever tainted vision - that's what you'll
give their blood.

   Only, perhaps, the "plus" in that choice - you can
move away from the child. (As, indeed, it is up to you). The 
reason to have a conversation with him will only buy another 
cartridge. If you are comfortable with - then you can not read.


   With respect to different pc and compatible with them.

   Now there is a process of rapid aging fleet of these 
vehicles. Quite You can find 286-e computers at very affordable 
prices. But! Be aware that someone had already thrown them - 
figuratively speaking. 

   P> Why figuratively? Most likely it was that car, which
You have noticed someone and threw it away.

   I hope you are not interested in the goods second freshness.

   P> "Freshness is only the first, it is also the only one.
If salmon second freshness, which means that it is rotten! "-
Woland's words of "The Master and Margarita" by Bulgakov.

   Machine class AT386 also no longer a prestigious, though
now affordable and not so old. As for
Reliability - it is as lucky ... The fact that you can
buy a real AT386 collected at the firm, and a makeshift
crafts. And this, as they say in Odessa, two big differences. In
Recently, a whole "clan" sborshikov ibm  of what hit. So in terms:
Machine assembly white (Europe), yellow (China), added a new -
Red assembly (simply "scoop"). This topic can be developed and
further, but it's not my problem. At last tip: if you
opted for pc - think about what you will with it
do through the year 2-3 and what problems to solve with its 
help, and then read the next section of this opus, which is 
dedicated to Class HOME COMPUTER.


   A little history: In 1982, Sir Clive Sinclair released on
Market your home computer "ZX-Spectrum". Since then, many
tried to develop this theme ... Survived one. In Russia
caught on the machine-based Spectrum 48/128. For this great
thanks to an obscure artisans' first years of perestroika. "

   P> From the programmers especially ...

   For the fact that the number of standards we have 
outperformed all of the country, together.


   Here in St. Pete is seriously working on this issue the 
company in March, Composite, Elecon, well, over Mr. Zonov - 
developer Leningrad version and the founding father of 
"Scorpio". 

   At the moment, all these commands, except Scorpion'a, for 
various reasons, left the market of home computers. Came to the 
stage the next generation of the Spectrum-compatible machines: 
memory 128/256 CBT, disk drives, 3-channel sound

coprocessor.

   P> One detail, for those who do not know: a constructive
easier and more profitable to realize 128K of memory on the IC 
type RU7 because no need to increase the amount of payment or 
time-consuming operation soldering the memory over the old one. 
But RU7 have a configuration of 256 kilobits, ie 8 chips have a 
volume of 256 kilobytes, not 128.


   About them and talk by themselves. Currently in St. 
Petersburg happily co-exist two models of computers with 256K 
memory. This is: Scorpion 256 turbo (the development of Sergei 
Zonova) and KAY-256 turbo - author Vyacheslav NEMO.


   They both have roughly the same features and some
equal to the price. Main (important?) Difference - is the 
presence in Scorp'e Shadow Monitor - a program to "kurochit" 
protected floppy disk. Thing is, no doubt, useful for a person 
educated in Soviet times. Remember - enter through the back 
door, and so on. 

   P> I hasten to break off potential hatskerov that have not 
yet heard about Scor'povom shadow businesses: Now this 
contraption consists of a set various service functions such as 
formatting a disk, shipping or printing the screen, config ... 
and among this luxury perched rather strange klopodav 
(debugger, sorry MOA) created on the basis of the most powerful 
for its time monitor of Package Laser Genius, long and 
hopelessly outdated. The monitor itself can still do, but the 
interface ... For some reason there is a perception that Scorp 
man bought automatically becomes the coolest hacker. Well - 
it's a big mistake. All disk protection, and even just 
defenseless program by local authors shadow businesses are 
being killed. In addition to this modern technology for fast 
graphics work so that no protection from the shadow businesses 
are not required - by pressing the Magic all just die. By other 
indicators, consumer probably will not feel the difference.


   Now - what can the machine in its class.

   Of course, they can play. Games there are more than 3000 and
variety - from the intellectual (chess, checkers, backgammon,
On maps, various adventure and role-playing) to rakish
imitators of anything (from the aircraft to the submarine).

   P> Submarine in setpyah Ukraine, died in an unequal
dogfight ...:) And just do something should talk about 
something that on the pc began to produce remixes of Spectrum 
games. 

   And you can play alone, alone, with friends. In
Unlike preslovuryh console games at the cost of the procedure, 
and then and two, smaller, and the game itself, you can stop, 
store, rewrite, exchange information with other, finally ...


   P> All of the above, except stop and save, refers to
3000-5000 to games that have long been at freeware'nymi
Through our close neighbors. To be fair
note that the price of a new authoring of a 3-4-D
times lower than that of the cartridge.

   In addition you will be able to learn any subject from school
course, thanks to training programs, study computer science,
typing, foreign languages. And finally (thanks to the 
programmers Company Iskrasoft) can conduct their domestic 
affairs, computation. There also developed a software package 
for small businesses (buh. accounting, Finance). Computer can 
communicate with the pc at the level of texts. Well Of course 
they can learn programming on virtually all existing languages. 
Company Iskrasoft help equip your computer hard drive and 
operating system similar to ms-dos. You are able to compose 
music, balgodarya presence Sound soprotserssora. It is only 
those features that visible at first sight. Then it all depends 
on your imagination. Now let's sum up. What to choose:


   Two options - Scorpion or KAY - 256.

   P> Not complaining, dear readers, in this case
talking about the Peter the market.

   And do not be persuaded that already have machines with 512K 
or more memory - to fill this memory will not soon.


   P> Fill out that easy, but should I? Although competently
constructed sistemki usually understand any memory. Yes, and 
toys Recently, in this sense "become smarter".


   If you're going Activities burglary foreign programs, the 
better take the Scorpion, with his shadow businesses.


   P> This has already been said. Shadow businesses handy when 
debugging your programs - you can press a button and see where 
hung. A to break the defenses still have to use a scalpel,

soldering iron and a coil of wire ... (In the sense plowed a 
fee not think of anything else)


   If you buy a car for everyday work and
entertainment, stop by KAY, with its open architecture
and scalable. KAY charm consists in the fact,
that even being on the computer warranty You can
establish a brand extension.

   P> In the end, you have nobody makes the press at that
most button ...


Text reformated by Velsoft on: 11.03.97

PS: The text was kindly pedostavlen Velsoft'om, for which he 
bounded       Romney thanks.