Quote:

Well, taxes in Brazil are high, but they are not 70% ... the taxes depends on the price of the computer being imported. And the comparison saying that 1CM would cost more than a PS2/XBOX/GameCube is not fair, those videogames *legally* costs more than 1100 or 1300 for sure. Videogames with those prices can only be found if you are not paying import taxes.

Iamaweaseal: The IRS charges 70%. That's what I've been charged for the turbo-R I *WON* on the babboo.net contest - no matter saying that it was a gift/used/whatever.

And also I can point you places to buy PS2/Gamecube/X-Bos LEGALLY for less than R$1300.

Snout: I know this isnt MSXA/ASCII/Bazix fault, I'm just telling the reality here in Brazil about importing electronic goods... which added to shipping costs and the normal costs of the one chip msx, ends up being really expensive for most of us.

Quote:

The IRS charges 70%. That's what I've been charged for the turbo-R I *WON* on the babboo.net contest - no matter saying that it was a gift/used/whatever.

Uhm, 70% of what!?! Do they have a book where the turboR is listed with a MSRP? Because certainly if they charged you according to technical specs it couldn't have been much

With regard to the oneChip MSX, I guess you're down to a number of options... In Costa Rica, which has similar import duties for luxury articles, I just asked a customs officer how best to import things. There were a number of 'loopholes' (they weren't really, more exceptions to promote development of the country) which allowed me to import all sorts of stuff without paying too much. A lot of times all I really ended up paying was sales taxes. I'm sure similar rules and regulations must exist in Brazil and Argentina. Be sure to ask someone that knows tho...

Of course, if all else fails, just have someone else ship one to you with the attached invoice of 'Z80 prototype board, US$ 27,95'

that if it comes without casing, i thinks a board like that can pass like an SEGA system!
but briging manuals, and cables and CDR and others things mmmmm......

creativity my friend and manuals you can just send seperately, books don't pay taxes anywhere (except maybe I.V.). The cables came with the board, you don't know what they are for. The CD I'll e-mail you if you must. All that leaves is the case, which can be imported as a replacement casing for the 1983 MSX Z238761-1325XTR and has a commercial value of about $3.

Quote:

Well, taxes in Brazil are high, but they are not 70% ... the taxes depends on the price of the computer being imported. And the comparison saying that 1CM would cost more than a PS2/XBOX/GameCube is not fair, those videogames *legally* costs more than 1100 or 1300 for sure. Videogames with those prices can only be found if you are not paying import taxes.

Quote:

The IRS charges 70%. That's what I've been charged for the turbo-R I *WON* on the babboo.net contest - no matter saying that it was a gift/used/whatever.

Well, in that case, I must say you had bad luck. I said it was a gift in many products I bought from Europe/Japan and I never payed a single dime. Maybe you should live in Recife, things are cheaper here. :-)

Quote:

And also I can point you places to buy PS2/Gamecube/X-Bos LEGALLY for less than R$1300.

You don't have to. I know some stores that sells videogames for that price. It's simple to see that these products, although being sold in regular stores, aren't paying import taxes. Let's see. Consider any of these videogames, let's say they cost US$ 200. It doesn't matter if they cost a little less or a little more. It won't make difference. Considering 1 US$ = R$ 3, it is less today, but just to make round numbers: 3 x 200 = 600 reais. With your 70% tax, it goes to 1020 reais. And I don't even talk about mail cost (from United States /whatever country it comes), Other taxes like ICMS (when you buy something, you pay plus 20% calculated above the sell price, in that case, 1020 + other costs. And you must remember that the owner of the shop must pay eletricity, employees, etc, etc and needs some profits as well. I don't need to go any further to see that is IMPOSSIBLE to sell a videogame LEGALLY for just 1300. Taxes in Brazil are too high, and it is not just import taxes. A friend owns a store, and he tells me that if he payed all the taxes he would broke. It's sad, but that's how things are in Brazil. That said, although the R$ 1300 PS2/GameCube/XBOX against 1CM isn't fair (because it is not paying the taxes, as I showed before), that's not the point. I'll explain it below.

Quote:

Snout: I know this isnt MSXA/ASCII/Bazix fault, I'm just telling the reality here in Brazil about importing electronic goods... which added to shipping costs and the normal costs of the one chip msx, ends up being really expensive for most of us.

The point here is not about Brazil taxes (although they make it really hard to buy anything) is about what I said in another post, and it seems now Slotman (I read your reply in another post) that you agree with me. It's not about the 1CM price. It's about what it gives to us. It's too expensive for just a MSX1 machine. It doesn't matter that we all love MSX (and we do), but it doesn't seem right to me to pay all that money (with the taxes) for just a MSX1. It could have some extras (Nishi spoke some time ago about being able to develop a 100 mhz Z80, if it is not possible 100 mhz, 20 mhz would be nice. What about new screen modes, or new sprites, as Slotman said?) It is not difficult to add value to 1CM, let's hope they can improve that before releasing it.

Actually, the idea is exactly the other way around... One of the cool things about the OCM (1cm sounds like it's short ) is that it's pretty customizable. First off, if ASCII says they will release software to make it MSX2 compatible, I have no reason to doubt them. And second, the scene itself can now create new 'hardware' and other cool features that could be implemented on-the-fly. You'd be buying much more than a simple MSX1. Of course I must be honest, I'd also think twice before buying a OCM if it was going to cost me $500

I agree with Sonic_aka_T. The One Chip MSX is not a "normal" MSX. It is customizable, that's the difference. And I'm sure that an MSX2 upgrade will appear soon after its release. But I'm not excited for the MSX2 upgrade, the great thing is the FPGA chip that allows you to alter the system (for instance we can eliminate the sprite flickering like in emulators).

The One Chip MSX is certanly not cheap but then again, what did you expect for a niche market electronical goodie?

For me (The Netherlands) it would cost about € 180 and that's quite a lot too compared with popular gameconsoles:
- GBA: € 100
- Nintendo DS: € 150
- Sony PS2: € 145
- MS XBOX: € 145
- Sony PSP: € 250

But again, the One Chip MSX is just a goodie wich will be bought and used by a relativly small group of people, so small quantaties will be produced. That means automatically higer prices.

I have a gameboy for cheap. but i love the new msx 3