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From: wongl@extro.ucc.su.oz.au (Glenn N Woodland)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc,comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: Wanted: Advice on Buying a 386 SX
Message-ID: <1990Nov13.104150.17179@metro.ucc.su.OZ.AU>
Date: 13 Nov 90 10:41:50 GMT
Reply-To: wongl@extro.ucc.su.oz.au (Glenn N Woodland)
Organization: UCS, U of Sydney, OZ
Lines: 30
Nntp-Posting-Host: extro.ucc.su.oz.au


Thanks for all of you replied. We are now have a clearer mind about
buying a 386SX. Actually my friend checked the dealer again today,
the 386SX mother is based on Chips & Tech. chip set and Phonix BIOS.
And also he tested some bugs of 386 or 386SX. It passed all those tests,
including running a 32 bit testing program with virtual memory management.
The case is called "Baby Case" and the power supply is 110 W.

One confusing thing is that although the 386SX CPU was labeled as 16MHz,
the LM benchmark showed 26. When he checked with other dealers before, all
the LM numbers of 16 MHz 386SXes were between 20 or 21, though they are
not based on C&T chip set. Is there anything strange here?

As of the price, A$2400 (or US$2000), it includes 20% sales tax and one
year warranty. That's the best offer my friend found here in the Sydney
metropolitan area, though he has not checked with mail order dealers as he
cannot test their machines before purchasing it.

About the modem, it seems that a 2400 baud modem could be a reasonable choice.
But someone told us that there are two kinds, one is internal, another external.
Does this mean an external modem needs its own power supply? It seems to us
an internal one would be better. Is this correct? My friend hasn't checked
with modem dealers and he wants to have some idea first about modem before
looking around.

Please reply me by email.

Thanks a lot.

-Glenn