SURVEY OF USES OF TANDY LAPTOPS


# OVERVIEW

Message # 185444, posted in mid-July 1989, requested information from members
of the Model 100 Forum on the ways in which they were using Tandy laptops.
A total of 15 responses were received as of the morning of July 29. These 
replies are summarized here. The first section of this file gives percentages
by category of use. The second section reports the actual figures by respon-
dent and category. The third section gives the names and ID numbers of the
respondents, and the last section includes the specific comments of four of
the members regarding Model 100/102/200 applications.


# SECTION 1: Statistical Summary

15 responses were received, providing data on the use of 20 machines:

    9 - Model 100's         (45% of total)
    2 - Model 102's         (10% of total) 
    4 - Model 200's         (20% of total)
    5 - Model not indicated (25% of total)


The original survey question included 8 categories of use; respondents
added two more, for a total of 10 categories. By category, here are the
compiled responses:

1)  A device for creating and sending news reports:

    1 response received - 5% of machines, 6.6% of replies
    % Use figure not indicated

2)  A personal executive/managerial aid:

    11 responses received - 55% of machines, 73% of replies
       (1 respondent did not indicate % use)
    % Use (Mean)  : 40.5% 
    % Use (Median): 32.5% 
    % Use (Mode)  : Bimodal at 15% and 75% (2 each)
    % Use (High)  : 80%
    % Use (Low)   : 5% 

3)  Part of an industrial control system:

    No responses received

4)  A writer's tool:

    12 responses received - 60% of machines, 80% of replies
       (1 respondent did not indicate % use)
    % Use (Mean)  : 35.4%
    % Use (Median): 30.0%
    % Use (Mode)  : 10.0% (3)
    % Use (High)  : 95%
    % Use (Low)   : 5%

5)  A programmer's tool:

    8 responses received - 40% of machines, 53% of replies
    % Use (Mean)  : 46.3%
    % Use (Median): 37.5%
    % Use (Mode)  :  5.0% (2)
    % Use (High)  : 100%
    % Use (Low)   : 5%

6)  A student's computer:

    No responses received

7)  A scientific/engineering computer:

    3 responses received - 15% of machines, 20% of replies
    % Use (Mean)  : 7.3%
    % Use (Median): 5.0%
    % Use (Mode)  : No mode
    % Use (High)  : 15%
    % Use (Low)   : 2% 

8)  A hobby:

    6 responses received - 30% of machines, 40% of replies
    % Use (Mean)  : 38.8%
    % Use (Median): 32.5%
    % Use (Mode)  : 10.0% (2)
    % Use (High)  : 98%
    % Use (Low)   : 10%

9)  Telecommunication:

    3 responses received - 15% of machines, 20% of replies
    % Use (Mean)  : 10.0%
    % Use (Median): 10.0% 
    % Use (Mode)  : No mode
    % Use (High)  : 15%
    % Use (Low)   : 5% 

10) Other:

    1 response received - 5% of machines, 6.6% of replies
    % Use: 15% 



# SECTION 2: Actual Responses, by category of use

Initials indicate respondents listed in Section 3.

1) A device for creating and sending news reports
   CS - (% not reported)


2) A personal executive/managerial aid
   BB - 75% 
   GN - 65% 
   PG - 15% a)
   DW - 30%
   AR - 80%
   PT - 35% (15% SRII Outlines, 10% SRII Spreadsheets, 10% TMPC Scheds)
   AS - 15% (Scheduling and grades)
   CS - (% not reported)
   DS - 5% (Includes some telecommunications)
   AW - 10%
   DT - 75%

3) Part of an industrial control system
   (No responses, but see Mo Budlong's comments.)


4) A writer's tool
   BB - 20%
   GN - 10%
   PG - 25% a) 
   DW - 30%
   AR - 10%
   MB -  5%
   PT - 50%
   AS - 80%
   CS - (% not reported)
   DS - 95%
   AW - 90% 
   JN - 10%


5) A programmer's tool
   BB - 5%
   GN - 15%
   PG - 50% a)
      - 100% b)
   AR - 5% 
   DP - 90%
   MB - 80%
   JN - 25%


6) A student's computer
   (No responses)


7) A scientific/engineering computer
   AR -  5%
   SW -  2%
   JN - 15%

8) A hobby
   GN - 10%
   PG - 10% a)
   DW - 40% (astronomy) 
   SW - 98%
   JN - 50%
   DT - 25%


9) Telecommunication
   DP - 10%
   PT - 15% (BBS and CIS FAX)
   AS -  5% 


10) Other
    MB - 15% (Telecommunications trouble shooting)


# SECTION 3: Names of Respondents 

BB: Bill Brandon 76701,256         Model 100
GN: Gene Nestro 73727,1015         Model 100
PG: Paul Globman 72227,1661        a) 2 T200's (combined use)  b) M100
DW: Dan Ward 76117,1725            Model 100
AR: Alan Rowberg 76703,4421        ?
DP: Doug Pratt 76703,3041          Model 100, Model 200
SW: Stan Wong 70346,1267           ?
MB: Mo Budlong 76167,3310        * ?
PT: Peter Tucker 76012,3532      * 100
AS: arnold r silverman 76340,356 * 102
CS: ChristopherFranceschelli 70721,2466
DS: Don Sakers 72517,526         * 100
AW: Al Williams 73377,2433         ?
JN: Jeremy Nichols 73527,2164      200
DT:  Denny Thomas 76701,40         2 100's, 1 102


# SECTION 4: Comments by Respondents


MO BUDLONG:

... my experience providing compilers for engineering and other software
houses is that one industrial application will account for many many Model
100/102's.

Some of the applications I have worked on or helped with (at least those I am
not sworn to secrecy on) include.

Police forces using PISTOL and other similar police reporting packages account
for many thousand machines.

Dedicated controller for a glass etching process. 5,000-10,000 machines.

Telecommunications buffers between larger more expensive machines several
hundreds.

Job tracking on factory floors, about 2000.

Office desk-to-desk message system. Several Hundred.

Download devices to capture data from data loggers. For example one firm tracks
oil well pressures and oil tank filling and emptying and unloads the data to a
Model 102. I know of a couple of thousand in similar categories.

There are many software houses and data processing departments who are using
the machine as a dedicated single task device. Once it has been dedicated to
this process, the DP department will buy 50 to 5000 machines depending on how
they are using them. I am frequently approached by Tandy sales people asking me
to provide technical assistance to close deals that will amount to thousands of
Model 102 sales.

The result is that there are scads of Model 100/102 users who are not real
users. I doubt that any of the thousands of glass etchers are Portable 100
subscribers, or on the SIG or have any other interest in the machine.

The largest volume of 102 sales is commercial and industrial, at least from my
perspective, but none of this will show up in your survey since none of the end
user's can use the machine for anything else.

The Model 102 is a long way from dead, but it is showing up in different haunts
than it's original market.


PETER TUCKER:

Here's my best guess at what you want.

Writer's tool - 50% Management tool (outlines in SUPER.ROM) 15% Spreadsheets
(SUPER.ROM) 10% Scheduler (TMPC) 10% TelCom (BBSes and FAX via CIS) 15%

Nothing really fancy, just a handy management tool.

The outliner use may be understated.  I use it like a one line data base to
track the major accounts and prospects of my sales representatives.

Also, the TelCom is higher since CIS added the facsimile ability to the system.
I send 25-35 faxes per month via my M100.  Some in the early mornings when an
idea or need strikes me.

The M100 gets handier all the time!


ARNOLD R SILVERMAN:

I use my m102 about eighty pecent of the time as word processor, about fifteen
percent as scheduling device and data base for grades, bibliography etc and
five percent of the time for telecommunicating. There are two other
m100/102/200 users at the college that I am aware of. The m100/102/200's are
used largely for word processing.


DON SAKERS: 

Personal executive/managerial aid (mostly involving email on trips, a bit of
time management, and the odd task here and there that can't really be
categorized anywhere else.) But overwhelmingly a writer's tool -- a good half
of the first draft of my last novel was pounded out on the Model 100 on lunch
breaks at work, and it looks as if the percentage is going to be just as high
on the next book.