jgregg@bbn.com (John R. Gregg) (02/25/90)
I need PC advice. I have been reading up on what is out there, and the system I am considering (for home use, some programming and word processing) in the much-advertised Zeos 386SX. The specific configuration would include: 386Sx running at 16 MHz, 32 MB Seagate HD, 2 floppy drives, 2 MB RAM, VGA monitor + one year warrantee and on-site servicing for about $2250. I am satisfied with this price for this machine, but I am a little wary of other considerations. For instance: * Mail order computers. I don't feel warm and fuzzy about being waranteed by people thousands of miles away. Does it work out OK usually? * Clones in general. How often are they not quite as compatible as you would like them to be? Are bizarre glitches common? * Zeos. Their pure, non-SX 386 system has been well reviewed. Any comments on their support organization or overall quality? Recently, someone mentioned in passing that in one of the PC magazines there was a review of lots of the new 386SX machines, and that AST, Austin, and Zeos came out on top. Could someone give me more detail on the article itself or at least tell me what magazine and issue it was in? Thanks muchly in advance, jgregg@bbn.com "I do not claim that universes like ours occur frequently, merely that the expected frequency is non-zero." -Edward Tyron
klakeman@plains.UUCP (The Anti-Twin) (02/25/90)
In article <52617@bbn.COM> jgregg@BBN.COM (John R. Gregg) writes: > >* Mail order computers. I don't feel warm and fuzzy about being > waranteed by people thousands of miles away. Does it work out > OK usually? > >* Zeos. Their pure, non-SX 386 system has been well reviewed. Any > comments on their support organization or overall quality? I have been to Zeos International's office, and even talked to the President. I kinda hung around the office on a couple of occasions and watched how they operate. I was very impressed now quickly they responded to service calls. When someone called about a problem with their system they usually used next-day air to get a replacement part to the customer. They didn't require them to send the faulty part in before they would ship the new one. I am buying their 386SX within a few weeks. I was told by a friend who previously worked for Zeos, and presently works for Northgate that the Zeos 386SX will out perform the Northgate 20Mhz 386.
mholtz@sactoh0.UUCP (Mark A. Holtz) (02/26/90)
In article <52617@bbn.COM>, jgregg@bbn.com (John R. Gregg) writes: > Recently, someone mentioned in passing that in one of the PC magazines > there was a review of lots of the new 386SX machines, and that AST, Austin, > and Zeos came out on top. Could someone give me more detail on the article > itself or at least tell me what magazine and issue it was in? The article was a review of 31 386SX machines. What came out as the "Editor's Choice" was: AST Premium 386SX/16, Austin 386SX, and Zeos 386SX-16. If you want to read the entire article (it's 82 pages long including advertising), then find a copy of PC Magazine, January 30, 1990, Volume 9, Number 2. Usual disclaimers . . . I'm having the save headaches as you do in finding a new PC. -- UUCP: ucdavis!csusac! \ | Pledge Dogs: {ames att sun}!pacbell! --> sactoh0!mholtz | Donated hot dogs served uunet!mmsac! / | during a pledge drive.
tgoldin@amherst.bitnet (03/04/90)
In article <3590@plains.UUCP>, klakeman@plains.UUCP (The Anti-Twin) writes: > In article <52617@bbn.COM> jgregg@BBN.COM (John R. Gregg) writes: >> >>* Mail order computers. I don't feel warm and fuzzy about being >> waranteed by people thousands of miles away. Does it work out >> OK usually? > > I have been to Zeos International's office, and even talked to the President. > I kinda hung around the office on a couple of occasions and watched how they > operate. I was very impressed now quickly they responded to service calls. > When someone called about a problem with their system they usually used > next-day air to get a replacement part to the customer. They didn't > require them to send the faulty part in before they would ship the new one. I purchased a Zeos system in the fall of 1988. While it is true that they will ship out a new part before receiving an old part, the necessity for such shipments was absurdly frequent (at least at that time). Quality control seemed non-existant. I have written about this here before, so I will not go into all of the details, but I will give a few examples: The machine was shipped with a defective keyboard BIOS chip (F7 did not work at all). The replacement, which came weeks later, was not fully compatible with the motherboard (it forced the board into the lower of the two selectable speeds). The optional 1.44 MB diskette drive was installed incorrectly (ZEOS was kind enough to include the Teac installation instructions, but had evidently failed to read them... and had failed to test the drive). When the system board went bad and I had to arrange for a new CPU to be shipped, I specifically asked them to make sure that the 1.44 MB drive was installed properly... they dropped the ball again. Finally, I returned the product. While the experience of owning that machine was somewhat frustrating, I do owe ZEOS some bit of gratitude; the experience I gained working on their machine helped shape my plans for the future... I am now working as a Technical Consultant, providing PC support for a firm in Cambridge. P.S. I cannot say how good or bad a product ZEOS now ships. The intent of this letter is not to judge them in particular, but to point out that magazine reviews and performance benchmarks rarely provide information about quality control, durability and other important factors. In purchasing a computer one should seek out the experiences of others; one should consider the age of a company and the stability of its product line.
jimad@microsoft.UUCP (Jim ADCOCK) (03/06/90)
For 386sx's PC Magazine Jan 30 1990 had 31 reviews For 386's See PC Magazine Feb 13 1990 and Jan 16 1990 for a couple dozen reviews At the rate this area has been developing, expect any reviews more than a couple months old to be out of date. This is more than true in pricing. Call everywhere that might be reasonable. [Standard disclaimer] [Personal disclaimer: I've never bought a clone myself]