Collector's Corner..On Collecting Dedicated Chess Computers

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spacious_mind
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Post by spacious_mind »

IvenGO wrote:I wonder if its a prototype of TurboKing why it has a bottom panel of Turbo-16K :D
No the bottom panel is correct s-24 looks the same as well. Just the displays are reversed to the Saitek Turboking and of course color.
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pr1uk
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Post by pr1uk »

http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/in ... _Turbo_16K

Think this is the model perhaps an early edition or a later edition

Opps this one
http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/in ... Turbo_King
Last edited by pr1uk on Sun Jan 04, 2015 4:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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spacious_mind
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Post by spacious_mind »

Its a weird one, the model shown on the other photo # 270 is 16K
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IvenGO
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Post by IvenGO »

So no matter if its rare designed version it seems to haven't much collectable value and there's no bidding war over it...

Should this joke with onboard writtings TURBOKING and 72K-programm counts as good one? :lol:
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Steve B
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Post by Steve B »

Steve B wrote:
IanO wrote: One thing that makes Montreux/RISC 2500/TASC R30 valuable: they were the only De Koning engines. If one were collecting the Big Six programmers (Spracklen, Kittinger, Morsch, Schroeder, de Koning, Lang), every other programmer had dozens of dedicated models to choose from, many at the middle-end so you didn't have to bust your budget. But De Koning came late to the party and only programmed for those three high end machines. Not even our hero Ruud Martin has included him in the stable of engines emulated on the Revelation.

And the last thing that makes Montreux/RISC 2500 valuable, they have an expiration date so working ones are in dwindling supply. They used a cheap ASIC technology for a logic chip that only has a twenty-year nominal lifespan, making the R30 the only good long-lasting investment.
Actually i am starting to think the Montreux is a rare computer
not for the reasons you mentioned but for the fact that i dont see it actually being sold for more then a year.. resulting in a very small supply today
the 2500 and R30 are expensive computers but they are not rare
(the R/40 is of course quite rare)
both appear with some regularity on Ebay ,were sold for several years after their release and many collectors own them
the Montreux seems different..
not as many collectors own one and i have been able to find only one 1995 Saitek/Mephisto brochure advertising the Montreux
by 1996 it was no longer advertised for sale
also unusual is that they used the same exact housing for the never released Turbo-Star 2600 which appears in ads in 1994
the TS was supposed to have 512kb Ram and a Schroeder program ..i think perhaps Saitek scraped the extra Ram and released the Montreux(128kb) in this housing instead
this coupled with the fact that the Montreux is seldomly seen for sale on Ebay leads me to believe the Montreux was not on the market for very long making the supply severely limited
if anyone in our listening area can provide any evidence that the Montreux was advertised for sale AFTER 1995 it would be greatly appreciated

i am considering filing an application on the Montreux's behalf for induction into the "Ultra Rare"Collection...an honor bestowed upon very few computers and auxiliary items(modules,printers,boxes..etc..etc..)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/10261668@ ... 923814103/



Montreux Moment Regards
Steve
Well its been almost two weeks and there has been no evidence offered that the Montreux was sold By Mephisto for more then one year
i will allow another another two weeks of open public comment
if no one comes forth..for the reasons mentioned above.. i shall be inducting the Montreux into the hallows halls of the Ultra Rare Collection

Application Pending Regards
Steve
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pr1uk
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Post by pr1uk »

What a great collection on your Flicka page Steve all i can say is

WOW
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Steve B
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Post by Steve B »

pr1uk wrote:What a great collection on your Flicka page Steve all i can say is

WOW
Thanks for the kind words
Best Regards
Steve
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Steve B
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Post by Steve B »

We start the new year off with a bang

this guy is actually selling the FOAM packing for a Mephisto Munchen board

http://www.microsofttranslator.com/bv.a ... 58bc23e2a3

Not Foaming From The Mouth Regards
Steve
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fourthirty
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Post by fourthirty »

Steve B wrote: this guy is actually selling the FOAM packing for a Mephisto Munchen board
Will this "Original Styrofoam Packaging" be shipped in foam packaging to protect the Original? I wonder how much that 2nd tier foam would sell for on ebay? Or is it more appropriate to protect Styrofoam with Bubble Wrap? So many questions...

This item will sell for Styrofoam Peanuts Regards,
Greg
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Steve B
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Post by Steve B »

fourthirty wrote:
Steve B wrote: this guy is actually selling the FOAM packing for a Mephisto Munchen board
Will this "Original Styrofoam Packaging" be shipped in foam packaging to protect the Original?
LOL Regards
Steve
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Post by Larry »

Steve B wrote: Well its been almost two weeks and there has been no evidence offered that the Montreux was sold By Mephisto for more then one year
i will allow another another two weeks of open public comment
if no one comes forth..for the reasons mentioned above.. i shall be inducting the Montreux into the hallows halls of the Ultra Rare Collection
I thought that one would have been in the hall of fame already. Only about
500 produced, and surely not all of those still around. Some went to the
trash years ago, sadly with problems that could have easily been fixed.
Remember the CAPS lady?
The Montreux runs on a regulated 5.7 volts, how many copped the full blast
of a 9 volt (or more) power adaptor?
I've already got about five units that are in your ultra rare collection. This
will bring up number six. The other five are:
CC1
Septennial
USCF
Travel Master
V9
When you sell me your Excel Mach4 next year for $500 that will make seven.
Your Genius modules will make eight.
L
PS Just flicked through the ultra rare collection. No Designer Mach4. Not
rare enough?
L
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Steve B
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Post by Steve B »

Larry wrote: PS Just flicked through the ultra rare collection. No Designer Mach4. Not
rare enough?
L
Nah..perhaps the Excel Mach 4...but we see too many Designer Mach 4's on Ebay

if you really want to try to get all rare items on a list,
this is a good list to aim for......

http://www.schachcomputer.at/rar.htm

i am missing 3 on this list

Ever On The Prowl Regards
Steve
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pr1uk
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Post by pr1uk »

wrote: http://www.schachcomputer.at/rar.htm

i am missing 3 on this list

Ever On The Prowl Regards
Steve
Missing 3 well how can you sleep at night, but just to make you feel a little better i am missing the lot :-)
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Steve B
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Post by Steve B »

pr1uk wrote: Missing 3 well how can you sleep at night, but just to make you feel a little better i am missing the lot :-)

your signature indicates you need an RFT DDR ChessMaster manual
the only manual is in German:
http://alain.zanchetta.free.fr/docs/Mis ... sterDE.pdf

Reading the Fine Print Regards
Steve
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pr1uk
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Post by pr1uk »

Steve B wrote:
pr1uk wrote: Missing 3 well how can you sleep at night, but just to make you feel a little better i am missing the lot :-)

your signature indicates you need an RFT DDR ChessMaster manual
the only manual is in German:
http://alain.zanchetta.free.fr/docs/Mis ... sterDE.pdf

Reading the Fine Print Regards
Steve
Thank you i have downloaded that manual but its not a perfect photocopy i was always hoping to find a PDF so i could covert it then cut and paste and get Google to translate for me.
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