Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!uxa.cso.uiuc.edu!skh00983 From: skh00983@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Steve Holzgraefe) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware Subject: Re: Austin 386/25 Summary: Steer a wide path around Austin! Keywords: My opinions Message-ID: <1990Aug2.225604.27299@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> Date: 2 Aug 90 22:56:04 GMT References: <12610621184018@osu-20.ircc.ohio-state.edu> <3870@bwdls58.UUCP> <35026@ut-emx.UUCP> Sender: usenet@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (News) Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana Lines: 42 In article <35026@ut-emx.UUCP> readdm@walt.cc.utexas.edu (David M. Read) writes: >In article [] BREESE-D@osu-20.ircc.ohio-state.edu (mr whoopie) writes: > >>I just saw an ad for a 386/25 with a 110 MB fixed disk, 2 MB RAM, a VGA >>Monitor and all kinds of other good stuff from Austin Computers for >>around $2900. This seems awfully cheap to me. Does anyone know anything >> > >I've heard bad things about Austin computers from people who work in sales >or design teams in other Austin, TX computer manufacturors. The bad things >include (but are not necessarily limited to): > > * extraordinairly unreliable service/support. Good on some days, bad > on others, but you can never count on getting any help. > I wouldn't wish the service I received from Austin on ANYBODY. I ordered a 25 MHZ machine in March of '89 and basically didn't have a working machine until September '89. The machine I have now is an entirely different unit fromthe one I was first shipped. Of course, in the meantime, I went though 2 or 3 hard drives, that many or more controller cards, and way too many calls to the 800 service number. The computer was also shipped back to Austin for repairs, which did absolutely no good. It was a hellish nightmare. I finally got this new machine after I got fed up with the support personnel and started dealing with the sales manager. I also might have mentioned I was thinking of taking legal action- both here in Illinois and in Texas. By the time they shipped me the machine I have now, Austin had stopped making 25MHz machines, only 20 and 33 MHz. So, I received their 20 MHz model with a 25 MHz 80386! By this time, I was too worn out to complain about various other things, such as not getting as big as cache as advertised and not having the ability to use 4 meg SIMMs on the motherboard (the old machine could accomodate 32 meg on the m.b.- now, only 8). When I did finally receive the brand new machine last Sept., I kept the old one until I was sure the new one was funct- ioning. Sure enough, no batteries for the CMOS configuation info. So I had to cut the batteries out of the old machine (which incidently, were installed only after I shipped the machine back for repairs) and plug them into the new box. After I was up and running, I called Austin, and told them they should send someone to pick up the old computer. Four months later, I received a call from Austin wondering why their inventory control showed that I had a 25MHz computer when I wasn't supposed to. Probably because no one ever came to pick it up I told them. Idiots. They then wanted me to pay for the shipping. I told them to get real. It had already been established that I was in no way to responsible for ANY shipping charges. They said, uh, we'll have to check on it. I didn't pay. I just checked and found ==> 10 <== invoices for repairs, replacment parts, etc. I don't know why I put up with all of their crap. Just a naive consumerI guess. > * Austin's 25-Mhz and 33-Mhz motherboards have problems with the > non-CPU support chips...it seems that they didn't get highly-enough > rated chips when they were designing the critters. > > * The machines are only FCC Class-A certified devices, and radiate > an *ungodly* amount of RF interference. The FCC apparently is > pretty steamed about this, because Austin sells the machines to home > consumers, which is a no-no for Class-A devices. According to rumor, > the FCC is about to fine Austin a bunch of cash and restrict their > sales until the problem is corrected... [...] >-Dave Steve Holzgraefe ==> s-holzgraefe@uiuc.edu