joel@gould9.UUCP (Joel West) (02/14/86)
for reasons I don't totally understand, I'm finally having an itch
to buy an MS-DOS machine. I vastly prefer my Mac, and I really
can't afford two pc's, so I guess it's just succumbing to peer pressure. :-)
However, I am realistic enough to recognize that my MS-DOS usage
might never amount to a hill of beans, so I could very well end
up using it as a *IX box (where * matches UN, XEN, VEN, PC/, etc.)
What should I do:
* Buy a generic-style PC. a friend quoted $700 complete
(he's an OEM) or look at all the ads..
* Tandy 1000 about $1000
* Or spring for a 286-based machine.
Presumably I would buy a $600 hard disk later, if I needed it.
I see my priorities as roughly:
Saving money
Running UUCP mail (preferrably with a mailx-style mailer
and the ability to patch in a homebrew router)
Using MS-DOS software
Other UNIX applications, including news.
I'm not really concerned with speed per se. But I know enough about
the xxx86 and 'NIX to know that 286 and later are better for
crash-proof multitasking.
Any advice (by mail, I don't read these lists) would be most welcome...
(Also, tips on a good cheap 'NIX).
--
Joel West (619) 457-9681
CACI, Inc. Federal, 3344 N. Torrey Pines Ct., La Jolla, CA 92037
{cbosgd,ihnp4,pyramid,sdcsvax,ucla-cs}!gould9!joel
gould9!joel@nosc.ARPA