L MICROBEE 256TC. COMMODORE Amiga 1000. ATARI 520ST. APPLE tic. Made in Australia, suc- Technically the most ad- A fast-calculating compu- A classic school computer, cessful as a school computer. vanced in the test — best ter with good graphics and but a bit dated. The keyboard There is an excellent range of graphics and sound, built-in sound. Because of the limited is cramped, the operating educational software for it speech generator and PAL range of software, it isn't rec- system old-fashioned and but not so much for business. compatible video system ommended for business or rather difficult to learn, and it Very compact design but still which (with the appropriate educational use, but a is certainly not a good busi- very service-friendly. The software and hardware) lets hobbyist gets many interest- ness computer. Furthermore, guarantee is six months and a you record computer images ing features at a reasonable screen quality is not among modem (see Glossary) was on your VCR, play tricks price. The keyboard looks the best. But at the time of included in the 'Executive' with images from your video neat but feels mushy. Too writing, the range of edu- package. camera or use the monitor as many modules and cables for cational software and games Recommended for edu- a high-quality TV monitor. comfort — needs a lot of desk is second to none. cational use. Unfortunately, there is com- space. Recommended for edu- paratively little business and Acceptable for enter- cational use. educational software for it tainment use. yet, but as an enthusiast's ma- All computers are shown without their printers. chine, it's ideal. The Commodore Amiga is shown without Recommended for the add-on disk drive - it was out of stock at entertainment use. the time we bought. COMMODORE PC10-II. DSE MULTITECH AMSTRAD PC1512DD. TANDY 1000 EX. An average IBM compat- PC-500 System 2. Fastest among the IBM An IBM compatible with ible. Its best point is a good An IBM compatible with compatibles, recommended an incompatible keyboard. keyboard. A minimum of average performance but for business use and a good The screen is very poor and software supplied. neatly built and with service, performer overall. De- the software supplied is of Acceptable as a small software and accessories eas- signed in the UK — where it low quality. We disliked its business computer. ily available from the large is very popular — but made in unusual edge connections for Dick Smith Electronics chain Korea (the monitor comes printer and external disk of stores. from Taiwan). drive. Acceptable for business Recommended for use. small business use. M T E S Wnta to buy a personal compu- The CPU doesn't depend on colour for its oper- ter? First, let's define it. A per- The Central Processing Unit is the ation. However, if you also want to sonal computer or 'PC' is a more ad- computer's brain. It contains a num- use it for games and educational pur- vanced, useful and professional com- ber of circuit-boards with sets of inte- poses (as most people do), you need puter than the 'home computers' grated circuits (chips) and other elec- colour. So that's what we bought. which flooded electronics shops a tronic components. Most have at You can mix and match computers couple of years ago, but it is small least one disk drive built-in. Others with monitors and printers to some and relatively affordable. have an integrated keyboard. extent and some package deals may What can it do for you? What most combine one brand of computer with people want is a machine for keeping Disk drives other brands of monitor and printer. records or for word-processing. It can A single disk drive is sufficient for he used to do the bookkeeping for a some uses but most programs work Keyboards small business, the membership roll best with two disks and it is much PCs come with QWERTY keyboards, for a club, register data for research more convenient for the user — a lot that is, the same order as on a normal and calculate. With appropriate of disk swapping can be eliminated. typewriter. But there are also extra software it can write letters, reports, As you would soon need a second keys for different computer functions, documents or a novel. It can teach disk drive it's better to get it from the including the ones that move the cur- children and adults anything from beginning and maybe save a few dol- sor. Generally, the more keys, the bet- science and maths to music and what lars. The COMMODORE Amiga had to ter, otherwise you'll have to press two to eat when dieting. With some be tested with only the built-in disk or three at the same time for some Confused by the bewildering choice of computers and programs? Our test of eight popular brands cuts through the computerspeak to the facts. accessories, it can help severely drive — the add-on disk drives for it functions. If you use a mouse (see handicapped people communicate have been in short supply and we Glossary), you'll depend less on the and run their own affairs. It offers couldn't get one in time for the test. function keys. Indicators for 'power' more advanced and realistic games There are two disk sizes for PCs: and 'caps lock' are helpful (see table). than a home computer. Some PCs in- 31/2" (90 mm) and 51/4" (135 mm). The teract with or simulate musical in- larger size is the current standard and Printers struments and can be used by com- the disks cost about half as much as There are several types of printers — posers and (with an extra software/ the smaller ones. The trend in the in- what the home user can afford is usu- hardware package) can be used for dustry is towards more 31/2" disks, ally the dot matrix type. Some com- manipulating a video recording to which usually store more infor- puter brands have their own printers, achieve new creative effects. mation than standard 51/4" disks (it de- others not, and even when they have, All this may sound wonderful un- pends on how they are formatted by a package from a computer shop less you are one of the many families the computer) and are well protected often includes a printer from a with a 'home computer' gathering against damage by a plastic 'shell: specialist manufacturer such as dust on a shelf after a couple of weeks You can buy add-on disk drives for Brother or Epson instead of the of use. both disk sizes for some computers — `original: So we did not let printers However, buying a PC is a different for example, COMMODORE Amiga influence the overall ratings of the matter. It has to be good, and you and TANDY 1000 EX. computers in this test. The ones we need a reason for buying it. It isn't in bought were the types recommended the impulse buying price range. Monitors by the retailers. We used $3000 as a target price for We know some people disagree with When you buy your printer, check everything you need to get started — a our choice of a colour monitor. Yes, that ribbons are easily available and CPU (central processing unit) with monochrome gives better resolution don't cost the earth. (See also the two disk drives and serial and parallel (more distinct letters) for less money printer test in CHOICE September ports, a colour monitor and a dot — a lot less in the case of DSE- 1986). matrix printer, plus a software pack- MULTITECH. If you want to use your age with programs which put the PC for word processing or account- Setting up computer to work on usable tasks ing and nothing else, buy a mono- To set up a PC system is as easy as from the beginning. chrome as long as the software connecting your HiFi. The ATARI CIIOICE, November 1987 - 9 szosT system consists of eight separate suddenly died. After we rang the cessing document and a spreadsheet. components, plus the mouse. if you COMMODORE hotline and got in- We measured the time it took for need a transportable computer, or structions about how to set some each computer to perform a number need desk space for papers, this is one switches inside the computer, it of normal operations — to load and to avoid. worked satisfactorily. The MICROBEE save tiles, move rows and paragraphs, We found all handbooks easy to was replaced by the manufacturer. make calculations and find words. follow APPLE has the best one — it's The AMSTRAD'S disk drives were Two computers — DSE MULTITECH very easy to follow for a beginner. noisier than normal at the beginning and TANDY — could not run the test You'll soon be ready to use your but the noise abated and no servicing software with the standard memory computer — if there is nothing wrong was necessary. (although they had no problems with with it. We got the systems working the software supplied with the re- quickly except the COMMODORE Testing spective machines). PC10, which refused to boot (see Computer performance was tested Both the 'routine' graphics (the Glossary), and the MICROBEE, which using two types of files — a word pro- definition and legibility of letters and Glossary of computer terms Backup: disks can be damaged, so all Hard copy: output printed on paper. Pixel: the little dots (picture elements) important disks should be copied to pre- Hard disk (or Winchester disk): a non- on the screen that make up a graphics im- vent loss of data.