Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!midway!msuinfo!news From: draper@cpsin2.cps.msu.edu (Patrick J Draper) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware Subject: Re: AT or XT286? Message-ID: <1990Oct1.191119.22917@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu> Date: 1 Oct 90 19:11:19 GMT References: <4459@bwdls58.UUCP> Sender: news@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu Reply-To: draper@cpsin2.cps.msu.edu (Patrick J Draper) Distribution: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware,comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc Organization: Dept. of Computer Science, Michigan State University Lines: 37 In article krisku@niksula.hut.fi (Kai Henrik Risku) writes: > > >>Could someone out there tell me the difference between an IBM XT286 > >>and an AT? My own computer is an XT286, but so far I haven't found > >>anything that makes it different from a 'normal' AT. Any suggestions? > > > Apart from the lack of 16-bit slots, the big difference is usually the BIOS. > >Well, at least in my XT286 there are both 16 and 8-bit slots. > >> XT/286's usually do not support the full functionality of an AT-bios, with >> its added function calls and extended memory support. Also, XT/286's require >> an XT style disk controller, with on-card bios for controlling the hard drives. > >But, what does all this mean practically. Are there any programs >or any hardware for AT that I cannot use in my XT286? So far >I haven't had any problems at all... > >Kai Risku - krisku@niksula.hut.fi >-- I use a PC-XT 286 on my job every day. It's an interesting hybrid. Supposedly, IBM was doing its normal thing that it does when it has too many parts and nothing to use them on ---- it invents something that needs them. In this situation I believe that it was the IBM XT case. The case can cause some problems if you use AT cards that are tall. If you have those cards, the top won't fit on the case. Performance wise, the XT286 is between the 6 and 8 Mhz AT models, but the hard disk is the worst I've ever heard of. Mine can do only 95msec average random seek. As far as I know, any 286 software will run on the XT 286. Patrick Draper ----- Michigan State University