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From: jdb@reef.cis.ufl.edu (Brian K. W. Hook)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: 386 configuration tradeoffs
Message-ID: <27534@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU>
Date: 20 Mar 91 20:12:23 GMT
References: <1335@b1.babss.UUCP>
Sender: news@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU
Organization: UF CIS Dept.
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In article <1335@b1.babss.UUCP> uunet!babss!wadswort writes:
|>I'm considering purchasing a system for home use. I will run
|>*nix,X11,GNU etc. With this in mind, I'd like to hear your
|>opinion about which tradoffs I should make to get a reasonable
|>configuration at a reasonable price.

UNIX?  At a reasonable price?!  Good luck....

|>386 33mhz or 25 mhz?
|>Is the 25 _that_ much slower?

Get the 33.  It's 33% faster for usually only about 1-200 more.

|>Extra cache or extra main memory?

Overall performance will suffer without enough main memory....immediate
performance will suffer due to lack of cache.  Get a 64K cache at least,
especially at 33 mhz.

|>Svga or vga?

SVGA.  No ifs and or buts about it.

|>I think I know the answer to this one. I recently read some advice
|>that said "Don't skimp on the monitor. Your eyes will suffer" I'd
|>rather not have to replace either my monitor or my  eyes because
|>one was no longer suitable so I suspect I want the SVGA (color too!).
|>Are there any problems with this, ie. X11 wont run in Svga anyway?

I would expect most Pc implemetations of X would take advtangage of SVGA.

|>The High price system is of course the 386/33 Svga with 64k of cache
|>and 4 mg memory. Svga color.

Get 8MB for UNIX.  Period.  SCO Open Desktop requires 6MB just to LOAD...

|>The low end is a 386/25 with no cache and 2mg memory. (would 2 even
|>be enough?) provided 

2MB is pushing it for DOS!  ( I couldn't live without a 1MB disk cache!)

|>Lastly, do you think the prices for a '386 are stable or are
|>they expected to drop sharply in the next 6-8 months?

They will drop sharply due to the introduction of the 486-50 and the 486SX.

Brian