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Subject: Re: Rating of Cheap dedicated Chess computers

Author: steven blincoe

Date: 15:00:33 05/27/04

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>HI Fernando
question is; how you still can find 1200 Elo machines, that is to say, not
>stronger than the firsts models of the beginnings of the 80's, in these days?
>It is that manufacturers are just putting inside new plastic boxes the very same

there is really nothing new under the sun so to speak.

ever since the beginning, Manufacturers offered "low range"(less then $100)
"mid-range"(thes then $200-$300) and "high-end "dedicated computers

when Fidelity offered the high end Premiere you could also buy the cheap and
weak Mini Or Tiny Chess Challenger
For Novag..they had the high end Super Expert or Diablo and the low end Solo or
Beluga
Mephisto would have a GENIUS-London and the Super Mini

if you paid a small price you got a cheaply made computer with a low Elo
you pay the big price and you receive beautiful wood and a strong program


there are some dedicated units where you can have a good program for a good
price

for example the Mephisto Miami plays at about 1900 Elo and is a nicely made hand
help peg sensory with information rich lcd display
when it was new it sold for less then $100
it can be found on Ebay every few weeks or so for around $50
but of course it is not brand new

for Pc programs it works differently
noone will pay for a weak program one price and then more money for a strong
program
the economics do not dicate that this is viable
for $45 you get a program capable of defeating all but the best Super  GM'S
you cannot then try to sell a PC program for $15 which is weaker

when you buy a dedicated unit you have something in your hand
you can hold it and take it with you
so some people will spend $45 for a weak unit but they have something to look at
and hold

with the PC program you get nothing new to hold and walk away with
you are looking at the same monitor with the same mouse ,etc  so the chief
selling point has to be the playing strength

Best...
Steve













>programs they have in stock since 25 years ago? Are soooo paltry the avances in
>programming that if you does not get a powerfull PC you still get weak scores,
>exception made of a handful of expensive computers?
>Any cheap, vulgar, average, less than average program can get at least around
>1800 Elo. Most of freeware engines are stronger than that. They are so even
>running in slow machines.
>So, is it that if you stuck to a 20 Mhz processor you cannot get something
>decently sgtrong? Of course not; there are machines running at 16 Mhz with
>decent force. So there,at the end, there is people that dare to offer 1200 elo
>machines just because...
>So they coldly aim to a market of absolute patzers that will be happy wwith
>those duds. Is it a an acceptable policy?
>Just because you are a patzer to offer you a 20 years obsolete program?
>Your vision, please
>fernando



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