Author: Alessandro Morales
Date: 03:08:30 10/19/97
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On October 19, 1997 at 00:37:58, Christophe Theron wrote: > >On October 18, 1997 at 05:00:10, Amir Ban wrote: > >>There is no reason why a PC-based chess computer should cost much less >>than any standard PC notebook, and this means way above $1000. > >I don't agree with you, Amir. > >The expensive parts of a notebook are: >* the screen and dedicated components >* the hard disk drive >* the batteries >* the floppy disk drive >* the keyboard > >The above represents at least 50% of the price, maybe more, because they >are mechanical or sensitive devices. They are all useless for a chess >computer. > >In fact, the only computer part you need in a chess machine is a PC main >board with processor and RAM. It does not even have to be low >consumption. So you can check the price of such an item in any >specialized magazine, provided that you can get it even less expensive >if you order a large quantity directly from Taiwan. > >Maybe the only problem is to adapt a larger ROM set, but some mainboards >are designed to accept such a ROM (to include both the program and >opening book). Another (small) problem is to build or find a low price >power supply (with -12V, 0V, +5V and +12V). > >You also have to add the plastic case with the chessboard and piece set, >a small keyboard and display (design them to allow direct connection to >the build-in parallel port of the PC board, or keyboard port, or RS232 >port). > >You get a fast dedicated chess computer (maybe the fastest in the world >if you use an AMD K6), for maybe $400 or $500. Then you can set the >price to something between $700 and $1000 to make some profits. You can >even sell an optional floppy disk drive and external hard disk drive, >because the main board already has the needed controlers! > >I am not in the industry, but I know things could be a little more >complicated because of reliability problems, electronic and radio >interference, and so on... But here is the idea. > >Anyway, the main reason why such a device will never be sold is that you >can get a PC for roughly the same price, allowing you to do other tasks >than just play chess, change the chess program, etc...! The market for a >top level dedicated chess machine is maybe too small now to start such a >development. > > >- Christophe - Imagine a 50x50 cm wooden-like sensor board, based on an AMD K6 166 Mhz, with a little display, a simplified OS, that has a lot of RAM for hash tables and it is compatible with some kind of card-programs, producted by all top level chess programmers and sold at the same price of a PC program.... :-) (Something like consoles). A nice business both for dedicated chess manifacturers and programmers!...(They cold still offer hardware improvements and software updates.) Without MONITOR , HD , VGA , SOUND CARD etc. it could have an affordable price. - Alessandro Morales -
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