Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!crdgw1!sixhub!davidsen From: davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (Wm E. Davidsen Jr) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware Subject: Re: Building a cheap AT system, any advice? Message-ID: <4102@sixhub.UUCP> Date: 17 Jun 91 00:23:13 GMT References: Reply-To: davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (bill davidsen) Organization: *IX Public Access UNIX, Schenectady NY Lines: 31 In article garrik@valnet.UUCP (Eric C. Garrison) writes: | I am looking into upgrading my system, as I am currently | struggling along with a PC-1 (8086, 2 floppy 5 1/4", CGA | and monitor, 1200 baud modem, Epson MX80III printer and | parallel card). | | I'd like to go to an 80286 processor, 40+ meg hard drive | Is this the way to go? I think not. I would suggest that you go with the cheapest (good) SX system you can find, not for speed but because so much software is and will be using it in the future. DOS 5.0 does lots of nifty things on a 386, however small and slow, which aren't there on a 286. Unless you expect to have lots of money in the next year or so to buy another machine, I would go with a 386 as a machine which will still be useful for five years or so. A 286 today is just not a good investment. I would also sell the PC-1 for what you can get and start over, rather than mix and match. Yeah, I know it's more money, but think how expensive it will be if it doesn't do what you want it to in a few years and you spent the money and can't run something you really need. -- bill davidsen - davidsen@sixhub.uucp (uunet!crdgw1!sixhub!davidsen) sysop *IX BBS and Public Access UNIX moderator of comp.binaries.ibm.pc and 80386 mailing list "Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward" -me