TELECOMPUTING-^? - Bombjack.org

otaer
THE
-SUPER SYSTEM-
NEWS & VIEWS
You've all seen the PRDTECTD ads {8 to 16 page black
& white spreads in every other magazine even remotely
releated to computers). Something about the style of
the ads has always made me wary, but I found myself
needing a monitor, and $69 was the price I wanted to
pay.
I was totally unprepared for the genuinely friendly
voice that took my order, fly monitor arrived 2 days
later by UPS, appeared brand new, and to this day is
working like a champ. Encouraged by this modest but
pleasant experience, I took the big plunge and
ordered the "too good to be true" Super System ($795
gets you a CBM B-128 computer, an BD50 dual drive, a
12" green monitor, a CBM printer, cables, paper, 1D
diskettes, and manuals !!l) All I really wanted was
the 8050 drive, but it cost more alone elsewhere.
Again, some (different) intelligerPE & agreeable
person took my order, the equipment arrived, and
everything worked fine {well almost). I discovered
that drive #1 wouldn't format properly on the 8050.
I thought I had discovered the explanation for the
low, low prices. I called them immediately, ready to
threaten INF0=64's wrath if they thought they could
get away with thisI I never got the chance- a third
phone answerer (who sounded like she would rather
hear my complaint than take a free vacation to the
Bahamas) cheerfully said to send the unit back for
immediate (and it was) replacement!
I couldn't stand it! These people were so nice, the
bargains so terrific, there had to be a catch! I
called the Vice President, Bill Badger, and demanded
an explanation! Even tho it was 5pm on a Friday,
Bill seemed glad explain that basically PROTECTO
hunts down good deals from manufacturers and makes
good deals for the public (while this often means
discontinued or surplus products, you can't beat the
prices and you get a 15 day free trial and a 90 day
warranty.) As far as the nice people on the phone:
Bill said that they really emphasize the human
relations aspect of the business, and that people
that can't measure up, are quickly found other types
of work.
Well, I learned my lesson, and INFQ=64 is now looking
forward to a 2nd Super System to upgrade our
operation. Is this a deal for you? It depends: the
8050 can be used with your C-64 with any of the IEEE
adapters, it is fast and stores lots of data. It
can't load commercial disks formatted for the 1541you
must still use your 1541 etc. to load commercial
programs (tho any copyable programs can be saved to
and then re-loaded from the 8050.) The B-128 is
incompatible with the C-64 software, but PROTECTO
offers several titles written for it including:
Superbase, Easy Script, Calc-Result, and the Info
Designs Accounting series. Also, PROTECTO will put
you in touch with a B-128 users group that can help
you get more out of your B-128. If you are
interested, don't wait! Bill says the B-12Bs are
selling out at a record rate.
[ Protecto Enterprizes / Box
6010 / 312 382 5244 ]
60 J iii Iii|§[i
550 / Barrington, IL
It looks like Commodore computing is about to grow up
real fast- first we have the new machines from
Commodore, and now there are, not 1, not 2, but 3 hard
disk drives about to hit the shelves for all ""of us
storage-hungry data-mongers!
First we have the Lt. Kernel drives from Fiscal
Information ranging from 10 Meg ($1300) to 80 Neg (!!
$$??) (see Don Vandeventer's article beginning on pg.
22 for more on these).
Then there is another 10 Meg drive from Computer
Specialties, Inc. (CSI) called the CSI ST1DC. It
should be ready for shipment in Nay, and lists far
$1595. It features serial or IEEE connection, built-in
backup software, reformat protection, external device
selection, a 90 day warranty. [CSI / P0 Box 1718 /
Melbourne, FL 32902 / 305-725-6574 ]
Last, but definitely not least, is Micro Mind's GENESIS
(you saw it here first, folks!), a new 25 Megabyte
half-height Winchester drive that will retail for an
amazing $1200! Bob Burton, President of Micro Mind,
says the Pittsfield, MA based company will be packaging
their own custom controller boards and software with
the half-height drives made by PliniScribe. First
shipments are scheduled for nay 1 of this year.
INF0=6A will be testing one of the first available
units, and we'll give you a full report as soon as
Issue #7. If all goes well, we will be maintaining our
growing subscription list on this baby (and it comes
none too soon!). Billing GENESIS as A new beginning
for the C-64", MICRO MIND is also readying a special
version that will actually fit in the second drive-bay
of the SX-64!! Since these have been discontinued by
Commodore, it might be a good time to go get one at
K-Mart if you are interested in transportable
super-powered 64 computing!
[ Write: Micro Mind / 104 Hawthorne Ave. / Pittsfield,
MA 01201 1
me cost for a Megabyte
of clisK storage capacity:
drive price CAP(K)
CBM 1541
MSD Dlldl
CBM 8650
CSI ST16C
$ 250
$ 895
S 795*
$1595
Lt. Kernel $1360
Genesis $1200
176
346
I960
16008
16666
25666
$1478 '
$2632
$ 795
$ 159
$ 138
$ 48
*