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From: smg@eedsp.gatech.edu (Stephen McGrath)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: VGA and Disk Questions
Keywords: VGA, disk, dos, unix
Message-ID: <662@eedsp.eedsp.gatech.edu>
Date: 4 Dec 89 20:37:06 GMT
Sender: news@eedsp.eedsp.gatech.edu
Reply-To: smg@eedsp.gatech.edu (Stephen McGrath)
Distribution: usa
Organization: DSP Lab, School of Electrical Engineering, Ga. Tech, Atlanta, GA  30332
Lines: 36


I am thinking of investing in a 386 machine, probably 25 MHz. I would like
to draw on the experience of people who have been running dos and/or unix
on such systems to try and evaluate how valuable some options may be. I
will be running dos for the immediate future, but I want to be able to
run unix (of some as-yet-unspecified flavor) on the system without any
hardware changes.

First, I would like to know whether there is any benefit to a 1024x768 VGA
display over, say, an 800x600 VGA display system. Are there many applications
under dos that will use the 1024x768 mode? Is the 1024x768 VGA display
supported under unix? 

Secondly, the disk issue. I am trying to decide whether to get an ESDI
interface drive or a standard interface RLL drive. I am aware of the difference
in the speeds of the two types of interface, but I would like to know what 
is and is not supported under 
current flavors of unix. I remember reading postings recently which seemed
to say standard AT-interface (ST506/418 (?)) RLL drives are not supported
under current versions of 386 unix systems, but that an ESDI or SCSI
interface is required. Is there any truth to this?
I would imagine that 60-120 Meg RLL drives are so common that most
flavors of unix would support them.

I would appreciate any information on these topics from those who have 
experience with these issues. I read this group regularly, so if you wish 
to post your answers I will see them; I think they would be of general
interest. 

Thanks for your time,
-Stephen

Stephen McGrath
Georgia Tech, School of EE, DSP Lab, Atlanta, GA  30332
(404)894-3872
smg@eedsp.gatech.edu