Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!lll-tis!ames!ll-xn!husc6!m2c!ulowell!apollo!nelson_p@apollo.uucp
From: nelson_p@apollo.uucp
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: first system
Message-ID: <3a7668db.44e6@apollo.uucp>
Date: 23 Feb 88 22:10:00 GMT
Sender: user@apollo.uucp
Lines: 40
To: comp.sys.ibm.pc@news



   I am in the market for a personal computer with which
   to do document (especially manuscript) preparation.
   No doubt, I will also want to write the occasional
   programs on it but that is of less importance. 
   What I would mainly like to get is the following:
 
   o   A clear crisp, monochrome display of at least
       80 x 25 well-formed characters.   I would prefer
       a display of > 12" but I understand that this is
       not common in monochrome.
 
   o   Reliability, good quality of construction, ease
       of service if something does break.
 
   o   At least one 3 1/2" diskette and at least a 20
       megabyte hard disk.   
 
  I'm quite ignorant of PC's.  I've worked as a software
  or firmware engineer for 11 years and I'm a bit spoiled 
  by the resources available to me at my office but I want
  something for home use.
 
  I've seen a few PC-type systems on display in stores and
  I was franky underwhelmed by the display quality.  Most
  of these systems were color though, and I understand that
  it is possible to do better in monochrome.   However, I've
  also been told that this requires a different type of 
  standard ('Hercules' standard) which the application that
  I run on the computer may NOT be compatible with.   Is
  this true?   Hasn't the PC industry ever heard of 'device
  independence'?

  So what's the story here?   Can I get what I'm looking for 
  and how much would I have to pay?   You may respond here
  or via email.   Thank you in advance.

                                        --Peter Nelson