sjt@duke.UUCP (Sherry Tomboulian) (06/23/86)
I am interested is gathering any information on pc clones. This includes information regarding price, quality, reliability, distributors, and software compatibility. These information will be used to determine was hardware to buy for a educational lab with limited resources. I will summarize and post to the net. Thanks in Advance, Sherry Tomboulian sjt@duke
nasser@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU (Nasser Lone) (06/24/86)
i tried unsuccessfully to send this thru e-mail, so i am posting it to the net. i don't know if you are looking for pc or pc/at clones, but i will provide you information about pc/at clones. i am responsible for putting together two systems for my company. my basic requirements were: 1 mbyte of memory 1 (or 2) serial ports 1 parallel port 1 (or 2) floppy drives (1.2 mbyte drive not needed) 1 monochrome monitor and card 1 30 mbyte hard disk i was putting a lot of emphasis on saving money. pc limited (mail order place in texas) was advertising the above system minus the hard disk and monochrome monitor and card but including an 8 mhz option for $1495. With the monitor and card, their price came to about $1800. pc limited got good reviews in pc week, so this looked like a good deal. but then i found another company in sf, that is supposed to have good stuff and comparable prices. i liked the fact that they are in sf, so that if something goes wrong, i can just run it to them. i am getting my system from them for $1799. this system includes two floppy drives, two serial ports, and a zero wait state option. i think that with the 8 mhz and zero wait state options, i will get a substantial improvement in performance. both pc limited and this place have thirty-day money back guarantee, and a year's warranty on their hardware. i have seen ads for another company in san jose where you can get the same system for about a $100 less, but i don't know anything about them except that they are using good quality parts. about the hard disk, i am getting them from a liquidation place for $350. these are leading edge disks with a fifteen month warranty. sorry for such a long reply, but hope it helps. i will be glad to answer any questions. nasser
nasser@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU (Nasser Lone) (06/27/86)
some people have asked for the names and phone numbers of the pc/at clone sources that i wrote about in a previous article. so here they are: micro 1 in san francisco 415-435-8222 qsp in san jose 408-435-8222 you can find both their ads in the 6/24 issue of pc week. i bought my machines from micro 1. i went there last tuesday to pick up the first one after i had been assured the previous day by the salesperson that the machine would be ready. well, the machine was not there and they said that they had been caught up in a big order and probably shipped my machine somewhere else. i told them that i did not want to make another trip so they should ship it to me. the shipment was promised for yesterday and then today, both promises unfulfilled. now i have their promise for tomorrow. we'll see. it may be that it really was a period of unusual demand for them; the salesperson was really apologetic. but if the machines are not shipped tomorrow, i'll probably be thinking that this their normal mode of operation. if there is interest, i will post my impressions of this machine after i have used it for a couple of weeks. nasser
mdf@osu-eddie.UUCP (Mark D. Freeman) (06/27/86)
Summary: In <14539@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> nasser@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU.UUCP (Nasser Lone) writes: >i am >responsible for putting together two systems for my company. >my basic requirements were: > 1 mbyte of memory > 1 (or 2) serial ports > 1 parallel port > 1 (or 2) floppy drives (1.2 mbyte drive not needed) > 1 monochrome monitor and card > 1 30 mbyte hard disk One fatal flaw in the above list. Most AT clones only allow 2 half-height devices to stick out the front. This means that if you have two floppy drives, yuo have to go with an EXTERNAL tape backup, when you add one to these systems later. The clones I'm using allow for 4 half-height devices to stick out the front, and one hidden. So I can have a full height 30 M hard disk, 2 floppies, and an internal tape drive. It runs at 8 MHz 1 wait and has 12 slots. If anyone is interested, send me mail, and I'll tell you how to get one. >about the hard disk, i am getting them from a liquidation >place for $350. these are leading edge disks with a >fifteen month warranty. These drives were marketed by Leading Edge. They are actually CMI 40 M drives (format to 32 M on an AT as a drive type 3). These are fast (37.4 mSec.) and quiet. They do not have the same problems that CMI's 20 M have exhibited. At the price this liquidator is selling them for (I got them for $329, 'cause I bought 10 of them), they represent the best bargain in hard disks I've seen in a long time. If you can get the cash, jump on this deal! Note: most AT clones sold with hard disks are using slow 20 M, like the Segate ST225. Nice drive, half height, but slow (70 mSec.). Pay attention to this sort of thing when comparison shopping. -- < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < <> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Mark D. Freeman mdf@osu-eddie.uucp StrongPoint Systems, Inc. mdf@osu-eddie.arpa Guest account at The Ohio State University ...!cbosgd!osu-eddie!mdf mdf@Ohio-State.EDU "Are you in charge here?" "No, but I'm full of ideas!" -- Doctor Who < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < <> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >