Shortage Of Chips Shows Up In Memory

June 05, 1988|By Daniel Brogan.

Q-Late last year, you stated that the best advice for 1988 was to buy more memory. I`ve tried to do just that, but at every store I visit they tell me that they can`t get the necessary chips in stock. What gives?

Peter Swanson, Chicago

When you work at your desk, you have to first take files and folders from a drawer and open them on your desktop. A computer isn`t much different. In order to make use of a computer program or data file, you must first load it from disk storage to the computer`s main memory.

Not only are programs and data files getting bigger all the time

(requiring more and more memory to accommodate them), but there`s also a growing interest in what are called multitasking operating systems.

These systems allow you to load and run several programs at once, making switching between tasks instantaneous. Multitasking also allows one job to continue computing in the background while you work on something else in the foreground. Obviously, these systems want as much memory as you can feed them. That wasn`t a problem until very recently. Memory chips were plentiful and cheap. Today, we face a drastic memory shortage that has already raised the price of several popular personal computers.

Part of the problem can be attributed to the suddenly accelerated demand. IBM PCs that formerly got by with 640 kilobytes of main memory now want at least four times that much to even load up the new OS/2 operating system. One megabyte (or 1,000 kilobytes) of memory used to be the limit for users of Apple`s Macintosh. Two, four and even eight megabytes are now commonly found on high-end Macs.

Even more at issue, however, are the ongoing trade tensions between the United States and Japan. Most American semiconductor companies got out of the memory chip business several years ago, charging that Japan was unfairly dumping low-price chips on the market.

The Japanese have since agreed to stop the practice, but they`ve also cut back on production. A number of American companies, including Motorola Inc. of Schaumburg, are gearing back up to produce the chips, but it will be some time before their efforts bear fruit.

How long will the drought last? Optimists say the problem may ease by year-end. Many observers, however, fear that the shortages could linger well into 1989.

Q-I am the owner of an IBM PCjr Since my use of the machine has no business connotations, I`m satisfied with its slow performance. My problem, however, is finding a way to expand its memory beyond the existing 256 kilobytes. IBM no longer carries the appropriate expansion kits. Are there other sources? Kenneth Patterson, Skokie

IBM introduced the PCjr as a lower-priced alternative to its PC line in 1983. Unfortunately, the machine was too slow to make it as a business computer and too boring to be a hit in the home-entertainment arena.

Today, PCjr owners belong to a breed known as computer orphans, unable to find support or expansion products from their machine`s original manufacturer. A surprisingly lively third-party support network has developed, however.

One of the best sources for PCjr products is PC Enterprises, P.O. Box 292, Belmar, N.J. 07719, phone 1-800-922-PCJR, or 1-201-280-0025. In addition to a full line of equipment from other vendors, the company also develops new PCjr products of its own.

If you want to keep up with the latest in PCjr news, check out the Schaumburg-based Junior Report (P.O. Box 59067, Schaumburg, Ill. 60159). Subscriptions are $20 a year.

Q-Can you advise this mother of a college-bound student on the merits of the various word processors available? She will have no need for mathematical programming and will be heavily involved with literature, psychology, international relations and languages. Being a girl will prohibit toting around anything weighty. It should also be sturdy enough to withstand the rigors of college life. Anne Essex, Wilmette

If by ``word processor`` you are referring to the specialized units made by Smith-Corona and other vendors, I`d advise caution.

About the size of a portable typewriter, these systems are designed to do nothing but word processing and usually feature a built-in printer.

You might be surprised to learn, however, that the software built into these machines is often less powerful than the more popular word processing programs available for general-purpose personal computers.

Many, for instance, won`t automatically format and maintain footnotes, endnotes or bibliographies, something your daughter will obviously need. Others are hampered by spelling checkers too small to catch anything but the most obvious of mistakes.

For only a few dollars more, I`d recommend getting a full-fledged personal computer. Not only will that let your daughter choose the specific word-processing software that best suits her needs, but it also retains the potential for other tasks should her needs ever change (``Hi Mom. Guess what? I`ve decided to be an archaeologist!``).

Keep your eye on this column. Later this month, we`ll be taking an extended look at the best new word processing software for the IBM PC and Apple`s Macintosh.
