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From: rose@malibu.sedd.trw.com
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Various 486 questions
Message-ID: <708.27c232c6@malibu.sedd.trw.com>
Date: 20 Feb 91 16:26:46 GMT
Lines: 27

I have three questions:

1) I have seen a lot of recent price drops in 486/25 machines.
For example in the last 6 months Gateway 2000 has dropped
there 486/25 with 4 MB and 150 MB HD from $5295 to $3995
and increased the ram to 8MB and HD to 200 MB. Also there are
several unknowns for as low as $3100 for a 486/25 w/ 4MB and
200 MB HD, super VGA, 1MB on board, etc.  Is there any specific
reason that prices have dropped so drastically recently? And 
any opinion on whether these prices will continue down or start
back up?

2)  This has probably been asked before but I missed it so here 
goes.
   Does the 486 machine truly contain a built in math co-processor?
Will "any" software that requires or can use a co-processor
be able to run on the 486?  If the above is true: then why does 
Tri-Star advertise a "CAD" system which contains an 80387?
This was in the computer shopper.  The system contains a digitizer
in addition to the basic computer.

3) Is there any specific software and methods for testing the 
true compatability and speed of a 486 machine?

Thanks for any info in advance.

Marc