Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!magnus.ircc.ohio-state.edu!news From: smsmith@hpuxa.ircc.ohio-state.edu (Stephen M. Smith) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware Subject: Re: PS/1 vs. other 286s: New user questions Summary: PS/1 is not a good buy (IMHO) Message-ID: <1990Nov25.023116.10030@magnus.ircc.ohio-state.edu> Date: 25 Nov 90 02:31:16 GMT References: <10251.27071414@pbs.org> <1401@mts.ucs.UAlberta.CA> Sender: news@magnus.ircc.ohio-state.edu Organization: The Ohio State University (IRCC) Lines: 53 Nntp-Posting-Host: hpuxa.ircc.ohio-state.edu In article <1401@mts.ucs.UAlberta.CA> userLEBA@mts.ucs.UAlberta.CA (Andre LeBlanc) writes: >>My parents are looking at buying an IBM (or clone) machine and I would like >>to get some opinions from some other folks regarding the IBM PS/1. [deletions] > >You said your parents were looking for a dos machine. If there >is a real reason for this, then fine, but it sounds like they'd >be better off with a Macintosh. > >If a dos machine is what is truly required, the PS/1 is a good deal >considering what you get for the price. However, it is limited >in some ways, like you can't attach a co-processor, there's no >serial port. It's not readily expandable. [deletions] I would advise against purchasing a PS/1 for the following reasons: 1) It is underpowered: Not only is it a 286-based machine, but it runs at 10 MHz instead of the business standard 12 MHz. For the same price you can buy a 386sx. 2) Hence it is overpriced. At $1999 (with the 30 MEG hard drive) it is outrageous. 3) As stated above, it has little expandability: IBM designed it to have the power supply in the monitor. (Yes, inside the monitor.) This means that you can never get a new monitor, and if either the monitor or the power supply fails you have to buy a whole new machine. It is difficult to hook up a 5.25 drive in it, nor can you exchange video cards or add such things as a Soundblaster, Ad Lib, etc., without IBM's special "chassis add-on". 4) Bad video: Plain VGA on a *smaller* screen (12"). 5) Few good reviews: There have been few positive reviews of this machine. Here's an excerpt from one in the Computer Shopper: "The PS/1 is an underpowered, overpriced, machine in which you, as a Computer Shopper reader and a PC-literate person, will have no interest." For the same price you could buy Gateway's 386sx which comes with 4 MEG RAM, 1.2MB and 1.44MB Epson drives, 40 MEG 17ms IDE drive, 16 Bit video controller with 512k, 14" SVGA (1024x768) monitor, 1 parallel & 2 serial ports, DOS, and Windows 3.0. S. "Stevie" Smith \ + / ,,@ ircc.ohio-state. \ + / {7%*@,..":27g)-=,#*:.#,/6&1*.4-,l@#9:-) " edu> \ + / BTW, WYSInaWYG \ + / --witty.saying.ARC