Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!purdue!bu-cs!madd
From: madd@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Jim Frost)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: 386 vs 286 vs 8088
Message-ID: <40611@bu-cs.BU.EDU>
Date: 17 Oct 89 15:28:51 GMT
References: <8595@max.u.washington.edu> <8243@leadsv.UUCP>
Reply-To: madd@cs.bu.edu (Jim Frost)
Followup-To: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Organization: Software Tool & Die
Lines: 20

In article <8243@leadsv.UUCP> zech@leadsv.UUCP (Bill Zech) writes:
|In article <8595@max.u.washington.edu>, scott@max.u.washington.edu writes:
|> If so, then what is the difference in buying a 20Mhz 286 machine
|> than a 20Mhz 386 machine, in terms of capabilities?
|
|Nothing at all, except maybe some speed.

Not true.  The 286 runs OS/2 but the 386 runs UNIX and several 8088
virtual machine packages in addition to OS/2.  If you have the choice,
get an 80386 or 80386SX over an 80286.  The additional capabilities
are worth any extra money.  If you can afford it, get an 80386 over an
80386SX, there can be large performance differences.

It would be unwise to deterimine which hardware to get by whether OS/2
runs on it or not.  Consider other options, they may extend the life
of your hardware considerably.

jim frost
software tool & die
madd@std.com