Walonick Associates
Circle 8
5624 Girard Ave. So. Minneapolis MN 55419
low end. The thing about those companies is that they need more software for their products. You know when Zenith comes in, they want Basic, FORTRAN, COBOL, Basic Compiler, PASCAL and SORT - the whole bit. So that's a lot bigger piece of business and there are many of those manufacturers around. The low end tends to be dominated by a few manufacturers. Because of our Consumer Products Division, the low end is super important to us though. We have really done quite well selling to a user base of 100 to 200 thousand systems. When you think of what that is going to be like when there is a base of 500,000 systems, it's really neat. The key thing is to build a reputation in that market and as it grows we can capture more and more volume.
80-U.S.: It makes a lot of sense. Bill: So, even from an internal point of view, Radio Shack is a very good customer. But if you also weigh in the consumer products things, you might say that they are our best customer. 80-U.S.: How about these TRS-80 imports like the PMC80 which advertises Microsoft Basic? Is that basically the same ROM that Radio Shack uses?
Bill: It is virtually the same ROM, and they have a license to Microsoft Basic.
I don't know if they are selling a lot of these. The hardware looks reasonable. The thing Radio Shack really proved about the computer business is that distribution is critical. So what if someone has an equivalent machine at an equivalent price. They are not going to hurt Radio Shack that badly. No one has 7000 stores, or whatever the number is, to place the product. As long as Radio Shack has a reasonable product, they are going to be a leader in this business.
80-U.S.: So as long as you can put out good software for the system, you're going to go right along. Bill: Yes. We are certainly available to someone who has that kind of distribution. There are two ways we work, we like to make a good economic return, but we also like to be involved in bringing computers to more and more people. We get a lot of enjoyment out of the success of the
Model I with Level II Basic. The initial prediction was that 10to 20percent of the people would upgrade (from Level I to Level II) and it makes me feel good that the number is almost the inverse of that. It's 80 to 90 percent. I hope to see the same thing on the color computer. Our participation is heavily tied to the success of the extension ROM.
80-U.S.: Did you do the actual Basic in the color computer?
Bill: We did the 8K ROM. But that is not actually subject to a royalty. It's the extension ROM. They are married. They fit together in a very strong way. It's another classic situation. There was limited memory, limited time, a lot of new features that needed to go in and so we had to work really hard to get that done. We are super pleased about it.
80-U.S.: From everything I've heard about it, it sounds like it is going to be a tremendous machine. Bill: The only real threat to it is if Commodore can get their act together. It is possible that they could be a serious competitor. I'm interested to see if Commodore follows through. •
IBM Interface
TLEC is the name given to WEB International's new intelligent printer controller and formatter for the new IBM Electronic typewriter Models 50, 60 and 75. It is Z-80 controlled with up to 4K printer buffer memory. A preprogrammed ROM eliminates the need for any printer driver software. The Mark I at $399.95 provides full parallel handshaking along with many features. The Mark II at $499.95 adds proportional spacing capability with justification to the Model 60 and 75. The Mark III at $499.95 adds bi-directional printing and many other features including access to the Model 60 and 75 memories. Inquiries should be directed to WEB International, PO Box 96, Corona Del Mar, CA 92625 (714) 494-2869
Data Separator
Parasitic Engineering Inc has announced their data separator for the TRS-80 Model I. It eliminates disk errors, including CRC, TRACK LOCKED OUT and Disk I/O ERROR. Originally designed for their high performance 8" Maxi-Drive systems, the 5" Data Separator sets a new standard for reliable 5" disk operation on the Model I. The unit plugs inside your expansion interface. There are no additional wires and no cut traces or other permanent changes to your TRS-80. It is compatible with all TRS-80 software. The 5" Data Separator is upward compatible with 8" Maxi-Disk drives, and can be easily and economically upgraded at any time. It costs $250 and is available immediately. Contact Parasitic Engineering Inc, 1101 Ninth Ave., Oakland, CA 94606 (415) 839-2636
Super Isolator
Severe AC power line spikes, surges and hash are prevalent in many Micro-Processor installations. Program execution is plagued with unexplained crashes, memory loss or other glitches. Disks, printer and processor often interact, aggravating the problem. Electronic Specialists' recently announced Model ISO-11 is designed to curb these severe electrical problems. Complementing the popular Super-Isolator line, the Model ISO-11 features two individually dual-Pi filtered AC socket banks (6 sockets total). Heavy-duty spike/surge suppression is incorporated in the design. Equipment interactions are eliminated and disruptive/damaging line spikes and hash are controlled. The Model ISO-11 Super Isolator controls power line spikes and hash while providing interaction-free microprocessor operation. $94.95 Electronic Specialists, inc 171 South Main St., Natick, MA 01760 (617) 655-1532
Software Speedup Facilty
PROSOFT, the first computer company to offer full-function Word Processing for the Line Printer IV, has introduced a software speedup facility for most TRS-80 Model I Level II and disk Basic programs. This utility program is appropriately called "FASTER". It analyses executing Basic programs, then displays or prints information that enables the user to make a simple change (usually just one line). Resulting execution times are typically reduced by 10-15%. No hardware modifications are involved, and FASTER can be used with packages as well as with user-written programs. It is available from PROSOFT, Box 839, North Hollywood, CA 91603 (213) 764-3131.
Racet Computes Catalog
Racet Computes has issued a new spring catalog covering new prices and products for the TRS-80 Models I, II and III. They have also relocated to a new address in Orange, CA. Write for their catalog: Racet Computes 1330 N Glassell, Suite "M", Orange, CA 92667
New LDOS Operating System
LOBO Drives International announced a new generation in operating systems for the TRS-80. LDOS is a totally new and advanced operating system that will bridge the gap between TRS-80 microcomputers: compatibility with Model I is available now; compatibility with Model II and III will be ready soon. LDOS is fully device independent and supports 5" and 8", single or double sided disks. It supports hard disks. Among its many features you will find keyboard typeahead, auto-repeat, keystroke multiply, wildcard and job log. For more information contact LOBO Drives International 354 South Fairview Ave., Goleta, CA 93117
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