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From: gt0159a@prism.gatech.EDU (LEVINSON,MARC LOUIS)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Zeos and Swan 386 clones
Summary: anybody have experience?
Keywords: TRW, Zeos, Swan, Diagnostics, Support
Message-ID: <10491@hydra.gatech.EDU>
Date: 14 Jun 90 18:33:58 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology
Lines: 47
References:

This posting is for my co-op company; please respond to my school e-mail address



I am considering buying a new 386 clone.  Zeos and Swan have
very enticing specs and prices.  Has anybody had experience with either of these
two companies (good/bad)?

Both have the 1 year warranty/tech support with available on-site parts 
replacement by TRW. I have been pleased with TRW for the maint contracts
on all the AT&T machines in the office.  The DELL has a similar service/
warranty policy using Xerox for parts replacement.  DELL's tech support has been
EXCELLENT, but the Xerox rep in Jacksonvill is pretty clueless about PC clones -
he's used to copiers.

DELL provides superb user diagnostics with their machines, most companies say
they provide diags then ship a machine with AMI bios diags (pretty poor). I
know most people think a clone is a clone, but I have found vendor diags for
such machines as AT&T, IBM, Compaq and DELL to be very useful.  How extensive
are the diags from Swan and Zeos?

Doccumentation usually gets worse as the machines get cheaper.  How good is the
*new* Zeos doc book?  What is the extent of Swan's docs?  My concern is a
generic doc pamphlet plus the user guides for all the name brand components
in the box.  PC Brand does this and it is practically useless.

I have gotten good response from both Swan and Zeos when requesting more info
by phone.  Their tech reps also seem competent (for answering pre-sale tech
questions).  I see both of these companies as DELL copycats, except Swan seems
to have more of a CompuAdd image. I don't want to buy a machinne from an
unstable startup clonemaker.  Zeos actually builds (OK, designs or specs) some
proprietary boards.  To me, this means a serious commitment.  Swan (correct me
if I am wrong) assembles off the shelf components.  What kind of response/
feeling have other netreaders gotten from these companies?

Any and all comments about these companies would be appreciated.

e-mail: gt0159@prism.gatech.edu
     
     Thanks,  Marc


-- 
LEVINSON,MARC LOUIS
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
uucp: ...!{allegra,amd,hplabs,seismo,ut-ngp}!gatech!prism!gt0159a
ARPA: gt0159a@prism.gatech.edu  or marc@isye.gatech.edu