Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!ames!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!paul.rutgers.edu!hundt From: hundt@paul.rutgers.edu (Thomas M. Hundt) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: PC Neophyte Seeks Hardware Upgrade Advice Keywords: upgrade pc hardware Message-ID: Date: 18 Jan 89 20:19:22 GMT References: <452@oglvee.UUCP> Distribution: na Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. Lines: 59 OK, first step is to figure out what your present system is worth. Try to sell it for, say, $800 in your local paper, with or without the hard drive. Actually you should be able to get $1000 with hard disk and color. My roommate sold his PC clone for $700 [Adam, are you listening?]. He then took the money and bought an XT clone with EGA. What I myself did was sell my complete XT clone system, hacker-style CGA monitor (caseless) and hard disk and all for about $900, through misc.forsale. Then I bought an AT clone via Computer Shopper. I would suggest to you to do the same. I know, it's a bigger shock and bigger pain; the crunch is this: How long can you do without any system? If it's 2 weeks or more, no problem. Depending on where you are in PA, (eg. if near NJ there are some clone dealers you can go to) you may be able to buy a new replacement the next day. Remember, you get more money for your stuff as a package, and by selling to those who have never heard of Computer Shopper! Since you want to get rid of your hard disk ("I know it's going to die, soon") you could buy a new one right now. There's an ST225 on misc.forsale for $125, why not buy that? This sort of thing comes around quite often. What you want in an AT: - case, 200W (min.) power supply, keyboard (get the enhanced style) motherboard: 640k, 10 MHz (most cost-effective) switchable to 8 or 6 MHz (this is the usual configuration) - hard/floppy controller: safest bet is Western Digital, so you'll always be compatible (eg. 1002-WA2 or slightly newer one). I wouldn't get RLL unless you have a drive to use it with already in mind. - HD drive (ie. 1.2 M floppy) - 360k drive (if you want to format 360k floppies and be able to guarantee they will work on someone else's 360k) This can be a hold-over from your old machine ("OK, I'll go down to $800 but I'll have to keep one of the floppies"). get either - multi I/O board (parallel, serial [optional 2nd serial], game ports) or - multi I/O with RAM capability (for extended memory --- if you want it) You wanted EGA. Now, you can either get standard, plain EGA (least cost) or fancy, extended EGA ("EEGA"). The latter may require a more expensive monitor (ie. multi-sync or other variable-frequency). You can get these either new or used, eg. from misc.forsale. Good luck -Tom -- RRRRRR Thomas M. Hundt (aka hundt@occlusal.rutgers.edu) RR RR Gradual Student --- Electrical & Computer Engineering RR RR Rutgers University 201/932-5843(Lab) RRRRR 272 Hamilton St. #96 201/247-6723(H) RR RR New Brunswick, NJ 08901 RRR RRR Famous last words: "The virus ate it."