Xref: utzoo comp.sys.laptops:402 comp.sys.ibm.pc:46320
Path: utzoo!mnetor!frank
From: frank@mnetor.UUCP (Frank Kolnick)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.laptops,comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Help for choosing a laptop/portable
Keywords: 386sx 40MB VGA
Message-ID: <5308@mnetor.UUCP>
Date: 13 Mar 90 23:42:14 GMT
References: <1990Mar13.134717.19807@tc.fluke.COM>
Reply-To: frank@mnetor.UUCP (Frank Kolnick)
Organization: Computer X (CANADA) Ltd., Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Lines: 38

In article <1990Mar13.134717.19807@tc.fluke.COM> teach@tc.fluke.COM (Dick Beier) writes:
>
>Okay!  I give up!
>
>I just finished reading the great tome in the March 13th issue of PC Mag.
>on high end laptops and portables.  Now I a really undecided!
>
>Can anyone add credence or experience to what this article said?
> ...

Well, I'm very satisfied with my Toshiba 3200SX. I needed a system
that was at least as powerful as what I use in the office (a '286
and a real '386) for development. My primary criteria were screen
and keyboard usability (I'm developping windowing stuff, which
is certainly one way of exercising a machine :-) So the first
point comes down to whether you like plasma screens -- people seem
to love them or hate them. For me, it was much better than any LCD
I've seen. This one's big, displays shades of grey, VGA, and has
a contrast control (essential, IMHO).The keyboard is full AT-style,
with real keypad an decent feel. Comes with a fast 40MB disk.
Doesn't have a battery, but you might consider the 3100SX if you need
one (in which case you get a smaller screen and keyboard, no contrast
control (I think), *and* Toshiba-only expansion slots. The 3200SX
has two real PC slots, which I need for a LAN card). Going up a notch
(and about $5K), the 5200 is a 386 machine with 100MB disk, and otherwise
the same features as the 3200, as far as I can tell (one company I'm
associated with has standardized on these). I've added a 2400 baud
internal modem and a 2MB RAM card to my machine, making it useable
just about anywhere I care/need to go.
(Sorry for the terse description. Feel free to ask me questions.)




-- 
Frank Kolnick,
Basis Computer Systems Inc.
UUCP: {allegra, linus}!utzoo!mnetor!frank