tims@starfish.Convergent.COM (Tim Simmons) (02/15/90)
Given that price breakdown, it'd be the 386/25. If the price difference were greater, I might step down to the /20 or even the 386, but I wouldn't be in the market for a 286 machine at all. Mike Van Pelt When guns are outlawed, Headland Technology/Video 7 only Carl Rowan will have guns. ...ames!vsi1!v7fs1!mvp _____________________________________________________________ Organization: Princeton University, NJ 1) -_______--------_____------------------------------------- Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, OR. Cc: I'd buy system 1. Why? Because I run lots of 80386 protected mode number crunching programs. Choice 4 won't even run them. Choice 3 would get too much of a performance hit compared to 1 or 2 to be cost effective. Choice 2 is ok, but for the extra $100, I would opt for the 25% better performance. BTW, I'd never get an MFM drive for such a system. A minimum of 1:1 RLL (Adaptec ACB-2372B controller) gives 50% improved performance. Tom Almy toma@tekgvs.labs.tek.com Standard Disclaimers Apply _________________________________________________________________ >From fanj@remb6489.wpd.sgi.com Fri Feb 9 12:55:49 1990 1. _________________________________________________________________ From: davidsen@crdos1.crd.ge.com 1) because I need the performance of a 32 bit 386, and the price delta between the 20 and 25MHz version is small. --- bill davidsen (davidsen@crdos1.crd.GE.COM -or- uunet!crdgw1!crdos1!davidsen) ______________________________________________________________________ From: bambam!bpendlet@elroy.jpl.nasa.gov (Bob Pendleton) Subject: Re: %% Do You Have Time for a SURVEY? %% I'd buy 3). Why? because it is fast enough for what I want to do and by the time I add a VGA card and monitor it will cost a little over $2000. I've purchased 4 personal computers so far and they have averaged about $2000. I guess that is as much as I am willing to pay at any one time. Bob P. _________________________________________________________________ You are asking if going from 20 to 25 Mhz is worth $100 : YES You are asking if going from 16 to 20 Mhz is worth $100 : MAYBE You are asking if going from 286 to 386, even with a slower speed, is worth $100 : Most definit YES. So, I would put them 1, 2, 3, 4. (In terms of what I would like). If I had to spend my money on it, and for home use, I would buy the 286-20. I consider this the best value for the money given the power I need at home. ___________________________________________________________________ >From ARRITT@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu Fri Feb 9 11:55:35 1990 ? _____________ >From lulu@ucrmath.ucr.edu Fri Feb 9 04:49:58 1990 Organization: University of California, Riverside I'd pick computer (1). Now, is there really a system like that for sale right now (25 meg, 2 meg ram, etc) for only $1800 ?!? If so, let me know! - David ____________________________________________________________ From root Mon Feb 12 03:37 PST 1990 >From cs4g6ag@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca Mon Feb 12 03:37:37 1990 remote from maccs Well, considering that I paid $2400 (Canadian) for a 286-12 about a year and a half ago, and that I'm gonna have a decent job in a few months, it would most definitely be #1. -- Stephen M. Dunn cs4g6ag@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca **************************************************************************** first, lemme just say that I ain't in the market (and wouldn't be) for a 16-bit buss... That outta the way, I'd pick #1 over #2, primarily because 25mhz is worth about $100 extra to me over 20mhz... and $1800 is~r a pretty fair price for the 25mhz system you mentioned. (BTW, main reason I prefer the 32-bit data buss is that 286 Unix/Xenix is really rather brain-damaged, and the 32-bit buss gives a considerable speed advantagexD.{. I know, I{'ve had a 386sx until I finally got my 386-true... ___________________________________________________________________ >From marshall@alpha.ces.cwru.edu Sun Feb 11 14:29:02 1990 Of all the groups, I'd pick #1. However, at the price you're "offering" then for, I'd be suspicious of any of them. Machines that cheap are usually poorly made. Why would I pick #1? The price differential is not that great, and I kee computers for a while. ____________________________________________________________________ >From BUMY@VAX5.CIT.CORNELL.EDU Sun Feb 11 10:25:02 1990 In reply to your posting about preferred systems- it depends upon the application. For work it would be #1 but I would heavily modify the system once it arrived. For home it's none of the above - I'd go with a kit for a basic system then customize but then I'm a hardware hacker. Jerry M. Wright ____________________________________________________________________ >From rleroux1@uvicctr.uvic.ca Sat Feb 10 21:03:03 1990 I would buy system 1, 2, or 4. (In that order of preference) I would avoid 3 like the plague (since putting a 32-bit CPU running on a 16-bit bus is BRAIN-DEAD!!! (And the marketing guy at Intel deserves a medal for making the 386SX the best-selling Intel ship in the business...)) Roger ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >From msmith@topaz.rutgers.edu Sat Feb 10 21:02:58 1990 Hmmmm. If I could afford it, I'd buy the 386-25. The price difference for the speed is small enough that I'd get the fastest. However, I could probably only afford the 286. Mark -- ____________________________________________________________________ >From bb16@prism.gatech.edu Fri Feb 9 09:51:40 1990 Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology I'ld take option #1...with some misgivings. Generaly, I like monitors with my computer :-) Actually, the price you listed was pretty good for a 25 MHz. You didn't mention the BIOS, chipset, manufacturer of the board, or RAM cache capability. All of these make a difference in the quality/value of a computer. I assume you were really looking for how the overall bang/buck ratio affected my buying decision. That's pretty easy for my case. I consider myself a "power user" and the major factors in my buying decision are: computing power, reliability, expected lifetime, expandibility, price, and flexibility. That's the order of importance for me (with the exceptence of a price ceiling). For completeness, My ideal personl computer would be configured as: 386-33 MHz (486 when they come out with a 33 MHz version) 64k or 128k RAM cache 8 MB RAM 80387 math chip 800x600x256 color VGA monitor (Nec 2A) 150+ MB ESDI hard disk 1.2M floppy 1.44M floppy 101 keyboard (with function keys on the side) tower case 2400 Baud modem (9600 if they ever standardize 9600 baud) DOS and u*ix partitions on the hard disk Anyway that's what I dream about (I'm half way there...) -- Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Vancouver, WA. Cc: I would go for number 1. My hobbie is computer graphics, so I need the speed. # Mark D. Salzman Phone: (206) 253-5542. # The more complex the mind, -- >From ppd491@leah.Albany.EDU Fri Feb 9 09:50:43 1990 News-Path: rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!apple!voder!pyramid!ctnews!starfish!tims > 3) 386SX-16 > > - all same as above > > $1500 I would buy this one, though I would opt for the larger case (fits more expansions slots) and a smaller hard drive. I would also get some sort of graphics and color monitor, probably EGA. I wouldn't buy a full 386 just because I don't have a need for that much power (I'm sufficing quite well on an 8088 machine right now; I don't even need a 286). The 286 is out because I feel there will be too much software that I wouldn't be able to run (386 specific software). I hope that this helps. Pete -- >From foxj@turing.cs.rpi.edu Fri Feb 9 09:50:36 1990 System 1, without any question. The difference in price is small compared to the performance. Also, for personal use, I tend to keep a computer 2-3 years and the 25 Mhz 386 will have a much better resale value thant the old 286's and 386sx. -- >From j%bucsf.BU.EDU@bu.edu Fri Feb 9 09:50:25 1990 Subject: %% Do You Have Time for a SURVEY? %% Go for the full-blown 386.....you'll appreciate the added investment in the future. I'd recommend either of the 386's. Stay away from the 386sx solely for compatibility reasons. -- >From datta@vacs.uwp.wisc.edu Fri Feb 9 09:50:20 1990 Organization: University of Wisconsin - Parkside Cc: I would probably buy a the dirst system _in this case_, I do work in CAD as well as heavy databases, speed is the most important issue _if I were in the market right now_ -- >From piety@hplred.hpl.hp.com Fri Feb 9 09:50:07 1990 From: Bob Piety <sun!hplred.hpl.hp.com!piety> Defintely #1-- the best perf, for a small increment in $. Besides, '286 systems can be had for <$1K. -- >From DSB100@PSUVM.PSU.EDU Fri Feb 9 09:50:03 1990 From: "David Barr" <sun!PSUVM.PSU.EDU!DSB100> System 2. It's surprising how much a fiew extra clock ticks cost! -- THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO RESPONDED!!!!!!!!!!!!! -- ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]] TIM SIMMONS (408)434-2843 Unisys Network Computing Group - San Jose CA tims@starfish.convergent.com