Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!codas!karthur
From: karthur@codas.att.com (Kurt_R_Arthur)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.ibm
Subject: Re: IBM-PC AT Compatables
Message-ID: <1532@codas.att.com>
Date: 12 Jan 88 16:01:21 GMT
References: <1907@s.cc.purdue.edu>
Organization: AT&T, Altamonte Springs, FL
Lines: 49

In article <1907@s.cc.purdue.edu> ag3@s.cc.purdue.edu (Rodney Mood) writes:
> 
> Any advice to a person looking for a *GOOD* IBM-PC AT compatable?  
> 
> I definately need these items in the machine:
>    - Truly IBM compatable (will it run Flight Simulator?)
>    - 30MB hard drive with single floppy drive
>    - ~640K RAM
>    - at least a 6MHz microprocessor
>    - serial and parallel ports

My advice:
	don't settle for less than 12Mhz, 0 wait states. OS/2 is slow on 
	anything less than 10, with presentation manager it will get worse.

	For memory, don't have less than 1MB standard, 4MB available to put
	on the motherboard. 

	You don't mention video, but a good E/VGA board and monitor are
	a must (the Paradise VGA or Video 7, NEC Multisync II or Sony
	Multiscanners are nice). 

	One other scintilla of advice: if you can get a '386, do it!  The
	'286 will be almost dead technology by the end of '88.


Good Clones:

	AST 286/386: They use a passive backplane technology (motherboard
	is a card) to allow very easy upgrades to new CPUs.  The 286 runs
	at 10 Mhz, 0 wait. I know what I said above, but the bus is
	a "smart" one that allows coprocessing, and other enhanced featu
	The AST is probably the most advanced bus in the market after MCA.

	PC's Limited '386: Not the cheapest, but tremendously fast

	ALR (Advanced Logic Research) '386: another good, fast '386

	Well's American 286 (16 Mhz): Good performance on a budget.

Total cost these machines (mail order) should be < $3000 (286) < $4200 (386)

One other thing (if important to you) MicroChannel Architecture clones
from WYSE and other will be shipping within 6-8 months.


Good luck, 
Kurt Arthur
Software Services of Florida, Inc.