dwu@alcor.usc.edu (Daniel Wu) (05/25/90)
I've been in the market for a 386 machine, and was seriously considering Northgate. I looked through some past isssues of PC Magazine, and found an article titled "Endurance Tests: 386 and portables" in the Jan 16, 1990 issue (Technical Excellence). I was favorably considering Northgate, because I heard some very nice comments about their construction and service from the net, but the article contained a few negative comments. They were reviewing the Elegance 386/25 with 256K of read/write cache: While this machine can hardly be touched for sheer performance, the Elegance is usually dependable but plagued by a few hiccups when it comes to reliability and compatilibity. For instance if you choose to bypass the power-up self test (POST), the 600 MB hard disk doesn't have a chane ro come up to operational speed and will not boot the system. The solution: don't bypass the memory test. [Next paragraph about machine failing to boot until memory chips were firmly re-seated...] Compatibility testing also revealed some bugaboos. I was unable to get a QMS JetScript add-in board to work. Lotus Express locked up the system every time I attempted to load it. While I was unable to come up with a solution to the former problem, the latter was solved by running Express in a window under Microsoft Windows/386. Has anybody out there experienced these kinds of problems? I would have settled on Northgate if it were not for this single unfavorable review. Comments anyone? I'd like to hear other people's experiences with this machine. Thank you Daniel
jps@uh.msc.umn.edu (Jeff P. Sorvik) (05/25/90)
I have an Elegance 386/25 machine and have been very pleased with both the performance and compatibility of the machine. In article <9871@chaph.usc.edu>, dwu@alcor.usc.edu (Daniel Wu) > > For instance if you choose to bypass the power-up self test (POST), > the 600 MB hard disk doesn't have a chane ro come up to operational > speed and will not boot the system. The solution: don't bypass the > memory test. > I have a 150 MB disk, not a 600 MB disk, but I can bypass the memory test without any troubles. The machine has never failed to boot. > [Next paragraph about machine failing to boot until memory chips > were firmly re-seated...] > I have never experienced this problem either. > Compatibility testing also revealed some bugaboos. I was unable to get > a QMS JetScript add-in board to work. Lotus Express locked up the > system every time I attempted to load it. While I was unable to > come up with a solution to the former problem, the latter was solved > by running Express in a window under Microsoft Windows/386. > I must confess, I havent added much in the way of additional hardware. I have added a 80MB Internal Tape Backup and an internal modem. Both of these have worked fine. I have yet to run into any software compatibility issues with software. Overall, I have been very pleased with the quality and performance of the machine. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone. Good luck with your decision. Jeff S. jps@uf.msc.edu Minnesota Supercomputer Center.
john@newave.UUCP (John A. Weeks III) (05/26/90)
In article <9871@chaph.usc.edu> dwu@alcor.usc.edu (Daniel Wu) writes: > I've been in the market for a 386 machine, and was seriously considering > Northgate. Good choice. I have been very happy with my Northgate machine. > While this machine can hardly be touched for sheer performance, > the Elegance is usually dependable but plagued by a few hiccups when > it comes to reliability and compatilibity. > the 600 MB hard disk doesn't have a chane ro come up to operational > speed and will not boot the system. The solution: don't bypass the > memory test. This has never happened to me with my 330 M-byte drive. Make sure that you get the fastest drive and drive card that you can find--it is a waste to couple a fast machine with a slow drive. > [Next paragraph about machine failing to boot until memory chips > were firmly re-seated...] It is very common for chips and cards to come unseated during shipment. I have seen this on many machines, including a PS/2-70. > Compatibility testing also revealed some bugaboos. I was unable to get > a QMS JetScript add-in board to work. Lotus Express locked up the > system every time I attempted to load it. While I was unable to > come up with a solution to the former problem, the latter was solved > by running Express in a window under Microsoft Windows/386. Northgate has a 24 hour hotline, and they will take back everything they sell for some period of time after you buy it. As readers of "Chaos Mannor" in Byte magazine may know, adding cards to a PC is always an adventure. You can probably find at least one combination of cards that will not work in any particular PC. You can minimize these problems by purchasing popular cards for you base machine to do the video, disk drives, and ports. Doing this insures that there is at least a chance that the manufactures of the more obsure cards (like JetScript) have tested thier products with your cards. > Has anybody out there experienced these kinds of problems? I found only one bug-a-boo that I didn't like: the cheaper tower case that I ordered with my machine had a defect where the mother board mounting points orient the mother board such that the cards do not fully seat in the mother- board when the connectors are properly installed in the opening in the case. It is about 1/8" off. Northgate offered to replace the case for free, but I declined that offer because I do not plan to change the configuration and everything currently works. I also took Northgate up on their "take-back" policy. The monochrome monitor that I purchased had a long-persistence screen, which I hate. I exchanged it for a super-VGA screen. No problems. -john- -- =============================================================================== John A. Weeks III (612) 942-6969 john@newave.mn.org NeWave Communications ...uunet!rosevax!bungia!wd0gol!newave!john ===============================================================================
cjp@beartrk.beartrack.com (CJ Pilzer) (05/28/90)
I have a Northgate 486 25i. It is the same Elegance machine as the 386. Before buying it I did a lot of research. The machine got top rating in InfoWorld Nov 27, 1989 pg 90 and Computer- World Jan 22 1990 pg 59. I don't know what artical you read in PC mag., but it was an Editor's choice in PC Mag. October 31, 1989 pg 97 among 22 machines. I have found my machine very solid and with good quality control in the construction. It is very fast. It has a Maxtor disk that is very quiet. I have found no compatability problems using MS DOS 4.01. Tech Support is execellent and available 24 hours seven days a week with only very short waits on the 800 number. Well, as you can see, I really like the machine and think that you can't go wrong with it. Also, the chairman of the company hangs out on the IBMHW forum section 7 of Compuserve. Any complaint gets immediate attention from him. Lots of recommendations of the Northgate machines on that forum. Charles Jay Pilzer cjp@beartrk.beartrack.com
kaufman@delta.eecs.nwu.edu (Michael L. Kaufman) (06/02/90)
In article <402@beartrk.beartrack.com> cjp@beartrk.beartrack.com (CJ Pilzer) writes: > >I have a Northgate 486 25i. It is the same Elegance machine as the 386. >Before buying it I did a lot of research. > >Charles Jay Pilzer cjp@beartrk.beartrack.com Charles, two questions: 1) How much trouble are you having with your 486 interfering with other stuff? I heard that it only has a class FCC class A licence. Does it put out alot of interference? 2) Do you know if it will run OS/2? I don't use it now, but I might want to later. Thanks, Michael
cjp@beartrk.beartrack.com (CJ Pilzer) (06/03/90)
computer with no interferance. The label on the machine says that it complies with FCC Class A rules. In reguard to OS/2, Northgate does not distribute it, but I beleive that some people are running IBM version. I have no personal experience. -- cj
dwu@castor.usc.edu (Daniel Wu) (06/04/90)
In article <402@beartrk.beartrack.com> cjp@beartrk.beartrack.com (CJ Pilzer) writes: > >I have a Northgate 486 25i. It is the same Elegance machine as the 386. >Before buying it I did a lot of research. > >The machine got top rating in InfoWorld Nov 27, 1989 pg 90 and Computer- >World Jan 22 1990 pg 59. I don't know what artical you read in PC mag., >but it was an Editor's choice in PC Mag. October 31, 1989 pg 97 among >22 machines. My original article may have been overlooked by now, but I noted the issue and article in PC Magazine: ] I've been in the market for a 386 machine, and was seriously considering ] Northgate. I looked through some past isssues of PC Magazine, and found ] an article titled "Endurance Tests: 386 and portables" in the Jan 16, 1990 ] issue (Technical Excellence). ] While this machine can hardly be touched for sheer performance, ] the Elegance is usually dependable but plagued by a few hiccups when ] it comes to reliability and compatilibity. ] ] For instance if you choose to bypass the power-up self test (POST), ] the 600 MB hard disk doesn't have a chane ro come up to operational ] speed and will not boot the system. The solution: don't bypass the ] memory test. ] ] Compatibility testing also revealed some bugaboos. I was unable to get ] a QMS JetScript add-in board to work. Lotus Express locked up the ] system every time I attempted to load it. While I was unable to ] come up with a solution to the former problem, the latter was solved ] by running Express in a window under Microsoft Windows/386. >Well, as you can see, I really like the machine and think that you >can't go wrong with it. Also, the chairman of the company hangs out >on the IBMHW forum section 7 of Compuserve. Any complaint gets >immediate attention from him. Lots of recommendations of the Northgate >machines on that forum. > >Charles Jay Pilzer cjp@beartrk.beartrack.com All the responses I have received so far have indicated no compatibility problems. I don't think, though, that anybody has tried to duplicate the the above scenario. I don't have access to CompuServe, but perhaps someone who has may want to forward these concerns to the IBMHW forum. Daniel dwu@castor.usc.edu