Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!att!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cica!iuvax!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!leah!rpi!crdgw1!ge-dab!peora!ucf-cs!wordproc
From: wordproc@ucf-cs.UCF.EDU (wordproc)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Buying from Mail-Order (response)
Message-ID: <1250@ucf-cs.UCF.EDU>
Date: 8 Aug 89 14:32:57 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Univ. of Central Florida, Orlando
Lines: 55


/* ---------- "Mail Order PCs???  Help" ---------- */

> I have a friend that is interested in purchasing an AT class machine.
> He's considering mail order houses.  It seems that I've read both good
> and bad on this newsgroup, but not being in the market I never took
> note.  I'd like to receive your comments about computer mail order houses,
> both good and bad.
>
> Joe

In April, I ordered and received an AT from PC Brand, Inc., a company which
advertises monthly in PC Magazine.  Check the most recent issue for their ad.

My system:	80286, 20MHz
		   switchable to 10MHz 
		2 Megabytes RAM
		384K shadow RAM
		110MB Toshiba hard drive
		   24ms [tested] access time **
	        1.2 MB 5.25" diskette drive
	        1.44MB 3.5" diskette drive
		I/O board (16-bit) with 2 serial, 2 parallel, game ports
		NEC 2A  800x600 SuperVGA monitor
		Delco Electronics DVGA-16 SuperVGA board
		   (1024x768 capacity)
		   256K on-board memory expandable to 1MB
		MSDOS 4.01
		Free Shipping
		Five-year warranty

	April 7, 1989 TOTAL:  $3150.
	Price should be significantly lower now.

The system came with a number of manuals and brochures providing information
about the video board, I/O board, etc., and a thick manual about the motherboard
itself.  These should prove very helpful.

This system has performed completely flawlessly and works absolutely perfectly.
I have used Ventura Publisher and Aldus Pagemaker 3.0 on it, as well as
MS Flight Simulator, Q&A Intelligent Assistant, Harvard Business Graphics,
and numerous other graphics, business and other programs.  The speed of the
machine is superb, especially with the upper 1MB set up as a 1MB disk cache,
and there has been no problem with the machine at all.

This definitely took the fear out of mail-order for me.  I heartily recommend
PC BRAND as an excellent source for a quality system at a low price.

**  I actually ordered a 110MB Miniscribe HD with 28ms access time, but one way
    or another I got the Toshiba with 24ms.  No complaints from me.

-- Marcus Clenney
U. of Central Fla.
wordproc@ucf-cs.ucf.edu
(not connected with PC BRAND -- just a happy customer)