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From: dtl@hpihoah.cup.hp.com (Dean Lindsay)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: Positive pc's
Message-ID: <25880002@hpihoah.cup.hp.com>
Date: 28 Nov 90 15:37:39 GMT
References: <594@ssdc?>
Organization: Hewlett Packard, Cupertino
Lines: 62

>The Price Club here in DC started carrying a series of PCs named Positive.
>They seem to have alot of bang for the buck.  Can someone provide me with
>some information on the company.  I would like to hear from people who
>own/have owned one and who can provide experienced knowledge.  I've heard
>that Positive PCs have been available at the California Price Clubs for
>some time.

I investigated PC clones a few months ago.  I found that I could get
a 25 MHz 386 with 2 MB of RAM, a mouse, a cache, about 80 MB of 
hard drive and a 1024x768 monitor with MS-DOS 4.01 and Windows 3.0 
for about $3200.  Then I ran across Positive, with a **33** MHz 386 
and 106 MB hard drive and all of the above, with the software already
loaded on the hard drive, for $3000.

I bought the system off the Price Club floor.  It was a two box
deal -- one box had the monitor, the other the system cabinet, 
keyboard and manuals.  It was plug and play -- take out the cabinet,
take out the monitor, attach the keyboard and monitor and power
cables, power up to Windows.  

However, I had a glitch -- the keyboard has a switch (not mentioned
in the documentation, which is not all that extensive) which was 
set for XT mode, so the first boot failed.  I had noticed the 
switch, and changed it to AT mode, and then the system booted.  

After a few days, I moved the system, and it didn't find the 
hard drive.  I reseated the SCSI controller (the disc is SCSI)
and the system has run without problems since.

I messed with the config.sys file to get mouse support in DOS windows,
and this caused an apparent disc funny.  I called their 800 number
for support.  It is always busy, but they take voice mail and return
the call the next day (I have called several times while considering
the system and after purchase).  The tech told me how to get the 
mouse support and clear up the disc funny caused by the config.sys
entry.  In the process, I mentioned the failure to locate the disc
after moving the system, and he was willing to authorize the 
replacement of the hard drive since he said it might be a motor 
problem in the drive.  The replacement would have been on-site
(the tech would have come to my house).  

I decided not to have the drive replaced, since the problem has not
repeated.  

The system is fast, and I am pleased.  I feel that I have avoided
all of the potential hassles of setting up the software from 
scratch or trying to match components from different sources that
I have read about on the net, and that is also an advantage to me.

If you buy it at Price Club, you have 30 days to take it back for
a full refund, NO QUESTIONS ASKED.  I used the 30 days to load up
applications software, and to gain experience on Windows, which I
had heard about and seen demoed, but had never gotten to use.  So
by the time the system was really mine for good, I knew it could
handle both Windows applications and non-Windows applications in
Enhanced mode to my satisfaction.  Not many computer stores will
give you a 30 day return policy with a cash refund if not satisfied.

I am pleased with the system and would recommend it to others.
But, of course, I am a sample size of one.

Dean Lindsay