asf@sbstaff2.UUCP (Fink Alan) (09/30/86)
I'm about to commit myself (and my money) to the purchase of a Leading
Edge model D. It comes ready to run with 1 360K disk drive, 30Mb hard
disk, 512K RAM, and (uggh) a 4.77Mhz 8088. Because of that last item,
I'm thinking of spending a few extra bucks for either the Mach-10 by
Microsoft (which I've been told is a 8088 running at 10Mhz), or a board
with an 80286 running at 6Mhz, which supposedly replaces the 8088.
(NOTE: Please don't ask why I don't simply buy a different machine - I'm
getting this one at a price too low to print).
Anyway, I have a few questions regarding the above cards. Responses,
positive *and* negative will be greatly appreciated.
Microsoft Mach-10:
- Anybody have any experience with it? Approximately how much more
speed will it give the PC? Does it lose any compatibility at the
higher speed?
Tech PC 286 board:
- I've been told its the only 286 board deemed officially compatible
with Leading Edge. Any truth to this? Are other boards available?
- Does the presence of the 80286 now make the machine an AT clone, an
XT clone with an 80286, or some bizarre hybrid (maybe a XAT :-) )?
- Must I then look for sofware which runs on an PC/XT only? More
important, how about hardware - do I look for XT or AT compatible
add-on boards?
Thanks in advance.
Alan S. Fink
UUCP: {allegra, hocsd, philabs, ogcvax}!sbcs!asf
ARPA: asf%sunysb.csnet@csnet-relay.ARPA
CSNET: asf@sunysb.edu
P.S. With the coming of the 80386, does anyone expect 386 boards to be
produced to *really* speed up a good ol' PC? (For all I know they already
exist!!)