Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!munnari.oz.au!uhccux!webb
From: webb@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu (Thomas Webb)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Are there PROBLEMS running 286 software on 386SX's?
Summary: Re: Gateway--*slow delivery*
Message-ID: <7091@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu>
Date: 27 Mar 90 03:54:56 GMT
References: <26863@masscomp.ccur.com> <26088694:123.1comp.sys.ibm.pc;1@tronsbox <260b01a9:123.2comp.sys.ibm.pc;1@tronsbox.UUCP>
Reply-To: webb@uhccux.UUCP (Thomas Webb)
Organization: University of Hawaii
Lines: 45

In article <260b01a9:123.2comp.sys.ibm.pc;1@tronsbox.UUCP> akcs.reed@tronsbox.UUCP (reed) writes:
>286 software is compatible with 286/486 hardware, as far as MS/PC-DOS goes.
>It won't take advantage of all the features, but thsould otherwise run just
>as well. Most programs for the 386 do NOT make use of 386/486 specific
>features due to backward compatility concerns.
>Regarding your plans for a 386, can I suggest a system from Gateway 2000?
>They're a mail order firm, with ads in most of the major mags. I ordered a
>system from them for a client, and I wanted to trade my Northgate to the
>client in exchange for his new system! After checking out the various
>prices, I don't think you can get a much better deal. A 386 @ 25 Mhz with 3
>Mb main and 160 Mb disk and 512Kb VGA is currently priced at $3395, w/o main
>memory cache.

Well, I ordered a Gateway 2000 system (386SX) on the 12th, and was
told that it might take as long as 4 weeks for delivery.  Today I got
a message saying that it could take and extra one to two weeks on top
of that.  The excuses that I've gotten are that there is a shortage of
386 chips (esp. SXes), and that Gateway is getting a larger market
then they are really geared to serve at the present.  On the other
hand, the price is hard to beat when the features and service contract
are figured in (btw, I think that the 386/486--real soon--are offered
with 4mb RAM rather then 3, and the 286/386SX systems come with 2MB
RAM).  Still, if the machine was going to work rather then home, I
would be very concerned about Gateway's ability to deliver the goods
in a reasonable time.  As it is, I'm not happy to wait, but can't
justify paying much more for quicker delivery.  Also, to be fair, I
should note that the last 386 we purchased here in the office, a
Northgate 38620, took three and a half weeks to get here despite its
higher price tag.  

Now for my comment on the orignal post.  It is my understanding that
Intel x86 cpu's are downward compatable, so there should be no feature
in the 286 that isn't in the 386.  I suppose that the 186 is something
of a special case since it has some built in support that isn't in the
286, but I've never programed a 186 so I'll stop before I make a more
complete fool of myself.  

Ciao,

-tom
-- 
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webb@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.edu  "The first duty in life is to assume a pose.
                              What the second is, no one has yet
					discovered."            -Oscar Wilde