spacious_mind wrote:
Now with this list, I am sure that Mike is not going to be too happy with me, as I think I have turned the UK Timeline list upside down
If you look at the above list you will see immediately that Miami in 1990 focused primarily on the more expensive computers. This was done at a time when the demand for chess computers was declining and people just did not want to spend those high prices on them anymore when for a few dollars more they could buy a good pc and have a good selection of chess software to play on them.
The new decade also forced a change in the serial numbers which at first we thought were a continuation from the 80's where the 1st digit was the year followed by 2nd, 3rd and 4th digits being the day count of the year. However when you try that you will quickly see that for 1990 it doesn't work as everything would have been built in a few days in January and nothing else was built for the rest of the year. For the same reason, the week count does not work well either as almost everything would have been serialized in the 1st quarter of 1990 and almost nothing for the rest of the year.
So that left a month count to look at, which I am showing above. Here is how I think Fidelity may have done their Miami serials through 1990.
1) In the 1st week or the first day or so, they continued with the day count hence SteveB's computer follows the 1980' pattern by being serialized on Friday, January 5, 1990.
2) They then changed to a month count were the 1st digit after the 3 zeros is the Month.
3) By the time month September came along they may have decided that the month count does not work anymore and they reverted back to week numbers as you can see with the Chesster Challenger and some leftover Designer 2000's.
So there it is, this theory does mess up the UK timeline for the years 1990 to 1992
. Also when you look at the above, please consider that the zip codes are all 33014, therefore a Premiere previously shown for 1992 could not have been built in 1992 as Premiere would have then had a zip code of 33172 which of course is not the case.
Anyway I hope you enjoy this alternate date theory
Best regards
Hi Guys
Hey Nick I like a crazy numerical theory as much as the next chess computer geek. As for the Timeline I'll turn it upside down if you like.
The contents might stay much the same as they are based on information published in Computer Chess Reports, Selective Search and other sources of the time, along with manufacturers brochures, dates on the chess computers, manuals, boxes, chips and any other apparently reliable source such as Hein Veldhuis's database that comes my way.
The early serials throw up some questions eg the timing of the Thermal Printer and Advanced Voice and I've tweaked the Timeline 1977-1980 on a few things. Hein Veldhuis has quite a lot of evidence for that period also. He and I don't always agree because he is quoting from mainly Dutch and German published sources, and for the Timeline I am trying to take everything relevant on board. Just one example - he has a Chess Challenger 10B sold in the Netherlands in 1978 - which doesn't fit with your date of 1979.
The YDDDSSSS serials are very useful for insight into how Fidelity operated, timing of production runs and sometimes the numbers produced.
I shall go through them, try to reconcile all the evidence and adjust the Timeline as necessary.
As for 1990/92 there is probably already enough material around to write a detailed history of what was happening with Fidelity, Mephisto and Excalibur at that time. However the serials are an interesting puzzle. A theory which places the Designer Mach IV before the Designer Mach III and the Chesster Phantom Eyeball before the Chesster Phantom isn't working for me.
BTW looking for more info on the Chicago to Miami move I came across these words by Stephen Schwartz 'Pity The Poor Chess Computer Buyer' -
"Ads appeared in papers and magazines all over the country, and over a quarter million people made the decision to purchase Chess Challenger "7". Fidelity Electronics, then located in Chicago, began bursting at the seams as did their bank account, and the decision was made to build a huge, beautiful factory in Miami, Florida, where their supply could better keep up with the incredible demand. The timing of the move was unfortunate, for it interfered with Christmas sales because the interruption caused by the move served to constrict the supply lines to retailers, and rumors have it that quality control died a quick death that 1979 Christmas season." Surely there is a date for the move somewhere?
All the best
Mike