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%% More SX-1 News                                     by  Jason Compton %%
%%                                                 jcompton@bbs.xnet.com %%
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                                                                        ]
I can tell some people are really getting tired of hearing about this
thing.  Some are even calling it vaporware.  It's not...at least, if it
is, it's vaporware that's being marketed by the manufacturer quite
heavily.  I got a fax from Paravision (owners of MicroBotics, remember
them?)  about it.  There's some good news and bad news.

The good news first:  AT keyboard support and a 32-bit SIMM slot are
standard on the SX-1 now.

The bad news:  AT keyboard support and a 32-bit SIMM slot are standard
on the SX-1 now.

Well, it's good because you don't have to pay "extra" for them, although
it has raised the cost of the standard unit some.

It, and the recent unavailability of parts due to Commodore's...whatever
you'd like to call what they've done.

Since the SX-1 requires proprietary chips, and Commodore's inventory
is locked up, Paravision is buying from other sources at inflated prices.

Here's the breakdown, from the fax, of the new pricing, in suggested
retail:

Standard SX-1 (Serial, disabling switch, parallel, RGB, floppy, IDE
internal and external, AT Keyboard, audio in, SIMM, MPEG passthrough,
clock) :              $277

SX-1 with 4 megs RAM: $395

SX-1 with 40 meg HD:  $401

SX-1 with both:       $569

They will be available in quantity the week of June 27.

Paravision also has a new CEO and President:  Robert Maynard, described
by the fax and himself as a "turnaround man", having taken several
companies from thousands to millions.  He looks to do the same with 
Paravision, through strongly hyped-up marketing and "aggressive pricing."
He is shooting to re-create the mass appeal Creative Labs has been able
to generate with their SoundBlaster packages.

Paravision can be contacted at 214-644-0043 voice, 214-644-0227 FAX,
and 744144.2363@Compuserve.com and microbotics1@bix.com on Internet.
They have an 800 number, but I've misplaced it.  My apologies, I'll
tell you when I find it.

(incidentally, my SX-1 is scheduled for about June 16th...)