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Subject: Boris 1978 (Applied Concepts)

Author: Steven Edwards

Date: 11:09:53 11/09/04

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On November 09, 2004 at 07:55:54, Steve B wrote:
>On November 09, 2004 at 00:25:10, Wayne Lowrance wrote:

>this depends on which Boris model you are thinking about
>Applied Concepts released 4 computers under the Boris name:
>Boris-Walnut case
>Boris Master-walnut Case
>Boris Diplomat
>Boris Diplomat II
>
>of these four the Boris Master is the hardest to find and so the most sought
>after by collector's

My first dedicated chess computer was a Boris (walnut).  I purchased it in late
1978 for $US300 which at that time was nearly twice the monthly rent I was
paying for the apartment I was renting.

The machine had no opening book and no battery operation option.  I'd guess that
its strength was somewhere around 1200 Elo.  I chose it over the few other
machines available as it had a rather clever display that could show all the
peices for an entire rank at the same time.  Said display was also used for
output of random insults and other comments.  Boris used the Fairchild F8
micrprocessor: an eight bit MPU with separate 15 bit address spaces for code and
data.  Input was handled by a small keyboard.

Six years later, I gave it to a friend for helping me move.



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