Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!yale!galvin-peter
From: galvin-peter@CS.YALE.EDU (Peter Galvin)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Low priced PC-AT clones
Message-ID: <22373@yale-celray.yale.UUCP>
Date: 3 Feb 88 15:09:26 GMT
References: <139@abhg.UUCP>
Sender: root@yale.UUCP
Reply-To: galvin-peter@CS.YALE.EDU (Peter Galvin)
Distribution: na
Organization: Yale University Computer Science Dept, New Haven CT
Lines: 30
Keywords: PC-AT, cost, bargins

There always seem to be lots of requests like this but far fewer replies.
So, I bought one.  A Standard-brand 286/12 from CompuAdd to be precise.  I 
ordered and received it before the latest issue of PC Magazine came out,
so I don't know what their delivery time is like. (PC Mag rated their
286/10 a best buy out of 22 clones).

No problem with the order, and the computer arrived intact 7 working
days after placing the order (via standard UPS).  There was confusion over
which display card I ordered, and in fact the old CGA board from by Columbia
PC worked in the AT (even at 12mhz), so I called them as instructed (under
their 30 day money-back guarantee) and sent it back.  I haven't gotten a
statement on my credit-card yet, but I assume they credited me.  If not I'll
post a follow-up, of course.  

I also ordered a Miniscribe 40MB hard disk (5063 I think) and a combo 
serial/parallel I/O board.  I believe the hard disk was formatted with
an interleave of 3 (which is the default in the setup software they provide)
and I thought it was running slow (a Norton of 2.5 on the hard disk) so I
reformatted at low and high level and repartitioned.  Viola, a norton
of 3.5 and a noticable improvement.  I supposed I should call their tech 
support and tell them about this...

So there you have it.  The system has been running perfectly ever since
(2 months now) and is very fast (at least in comparison to my Columbia (:-)).
Glad I did it, but still having a few thoughts about the 386 systems coming
out.  But, if Intel really does announce a 386 chip that fits in a 286 slot,
and it works in my Standard, then I'll be sitting pretty...

						--Peter
						galvin@cs.yale.edu