Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!ucselx!crash!pnet01!jca
From: jca@pnet01.cts.com (John C. Archambeau)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: 386 questions
Message-ID: <3440@crash.cts.com>
Date: 8 Jul 90 19:56:10 GMT
Sender: root@crash.cts.com
Organization: People-Net [pnet01], El Cajon CA
Lines: 58

doug@bdt.UUCP (Doug Asherman) writes:
>(upgradeable to a regular 386) that sounds like a good deal.
>However, I have some questions on it:
>
>1) It has an Excel motherboard.  This, I believe, was made by Excel
>in Sunnyvale, CA.  Does anyone know anything about these?

Never heard of Excel out of the context of being used as a reference to a
Microsoft software product.

>2) The ad states that the motherboard has an "EMS Device On Board."
>I've heard rumors that these can cause compatibility problems that
>software memory managers won't, and that you can't disable them.
>Is this true?

My 386SX supports LIM EMS 4.0 in hardware.  You set up the page frames, etc.
from the BIOS set up routine.  I don't see any problems with having this on
the motherboard since the 386(SX) can handle it without the help of an EMS
board.  My motherboard manual even goes into how to set up the EMS for
DesqView.  I think you've been misinformed or your resources have only had
experience with poor quality or not-so-compatable 386(SX) motherboards.

>3) I asked about replacing the hard disk (65MB) with a larger one
>(80MB), and was told that the 80MB drive the store had in stock was
>a Seagte SCSI drive.  I wasn't aware that there was such a beast (a 
>friend of mine says that there isn't, and the salesmen if proabably 
>mistaken.

Seagate has made SCSI drives for years.  There are two SCSI 80 Mb drives out
there.  The ST296N (5.25" HH) and ST1096N (3.5" HH).  Your friend is mistaken.
And if your friend wishes to continue to argue, he can call Seagate and
request information from the 24 hr voice mail database.  Seagate also owns
Imprimis now, which is a major source of the high end, high capacity SCSI
drives.

>And for you folks in and around San Francisco:
>
>If there's anyone out there who knows of a reputable place in
>the SF Bay Area where I could get a decent 386SX for about two grand,
>I'd appreciate hearing about it.  It would be even better if it were
>in the East Bay.

I'll sell you mine for $1,000.  I paid $300 for it, you should pay no more
than $400 for a new 386SX motherboard.  The average price I've seen is about
$350 for them.  But if you want mine which works just fine, no problems at
all, I'll let you have it for the special introductory price of $1000.  I'll
even deliver it to your door from San Diego.
 
     // JCA

 /*
 **--------------------------------------------------------------------------*
 ** Flames  : /dev/null                     | Small memory model only for
 ** ARPANET : crash!pnet01!jca@nosc.mil     | Unix?  Get the (*bleep*) out
 ** INTERNET: jca@pnet01.cts.com            | of here!
 ** UUCP    : {nosc ucsd hplabs!hd-sdd}!crash!pnet01!jca
 **--------------------------------------------------------------------------*
 */