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From: c60c-3fz@web-3h.berkeley.edu (In Sik Rhee)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
Subject: Re: Is this a good machine for windows...?
Summary: Depends on you...
Message-ID: <1990Dec7.201253.613@agate.berkeley.edu>
Date: 7 Dec 90 20:12:53 GMT
References: <20143@rouge.usl.edu>
Sender: usenet@agate.berkeley.edu (USENET Administrator)
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
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In article <20143@rouge.usl.edu> pcb@cacs.usl.edu (Peter C. Bahrs) writes:
>I have used ps2s and compaqs but now have a chance to get the following:
>
>Gateway 2000 386 33mhz, 4mb memory, 65mb hd, 2serial, 2parallel,
>1.4 3 1/2" and 1/2 5 1/4" diskette drives, northgate omni keyboard,
>ati 512 vga graphics card, nec 3d multisync monitor.
>

Wow.   pretty loaded, except for the 65MB (probably RLL 40MB) HD, you
will want to toss that puppy out, if you are seriously wanting to develop
for Windows environment (My Programming partition is 40MB alone right now)


>Do you know if this is a stable environment for windows 3.0 usage and
>development?  How (if available) are the high res drivers for the ati?
>

stable?  sure...  as for higi-res... The last I checked, Gateway's shipped
with ATI VGA Wonder cards (512K)... an okay card, I guess.. havent seen
its performance at 800x600x256, but I'm sure it'd be a bit sluggish

>Is this worth $2900.0 ?
>

$2900...  let me give you something to compare this against...

386-33 (no-name clone) 64k Cache
4MB 70ns SIMM's (bought separately)
2 serial, 2 parallel, 1.2, 1.44, 101 key
2400 internal smartmodem
Sony 1304 (.25 dot pitch 1024x768 non-interlace) (also bought separate)
Orchid Pro Designer II with 1MB RAM (1024x768x256 non-int)
Conner 100MB IDE drive with card 
choice of small footprint or standard big AT case...

total price...  $3200

Now after I bought this system (for a friend), I realized I could have
saved $50 on the HD (paid $500 for the conner) and some more on the
modem and other stuff... wait, oh yeah, a Logitech Mouse was also included
in  the package...  but at any rate, the system I described is far better
Sony <-> Nec 3D   The 1304 is the most highly-regarded 14" monitor out.
Pro Designer II <-> ATI  The Pro Designer II is the fastest SVGA card 
			 without a coprocessor
Conner <-> 65MB (seagate) The Conner is a 3.5" slim, and SUPER-QUIET..
			  very fast, also... definately a better deal.

but, what you are getting that I am not is the Gateway name, symbol, 
and service... that means if your computer breaks down for some reason,
you don't have to deal with it, they do.   In my case, I'm my own 
technician, so if my computer breaks, I fiddle with it... usually
fixable... if it fries on me, I still have the standard 1 yr manu-
facturer's warranty...  For me, I don't care...  I figure I'll keep the
33Mhz until the 486's become affordable, and bam, I switch motherboards...

Anyway, I hope this helps...  good luck