garye@microsoft.UUCP (Gary ERICSON) (03/01/90)
I'm thinking about buying a less expensive (cheap) computer for home use.
It won't be beat on very hard, but I want it to be reliable enough that I'm
not spending bucks and time taking it in for service all the time.
I already understand the technical difference in some components -
companies like IBM/Compaq/HP do careful selection of vendor's components
and reject sub-quality parts; these parts are then sold to no-name
companies for less money to go in cheaper machines. I also understand that
there is a quality difference (though what it is exactly, I don't know) in
disc drives and monitors.
But I want some *practical* help. I'm looking at the Packard Bell 386SX
machine with a 40MB disc and VGA color monitor for about $1800.
I've also seen ads for ACT, PC Tech, Leading Edge, Hyundai, MIT, AST, Bear,
Arche Rival, and some no-name computers. A Leading Edge 386SX at one store
looks like a good deal at $1795 (with 40MB disc, VGA (probably mono) monitor,
and 20 month warranty). Here are my questions:
1. Has anyone actually bought a Packard Bell, esp. the 386SX? What
are your experiences? What about Leading Edge?
2. Has anyone bought another non-big-name brand? What are your
experiences?
3. What's the difference between discs with 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, etc.
interleaving (is that the right term)? What access time is
livable?
4. What are good and bad brands of hard disc drives? What should I
look for and what should I avoid? What is wrong with the bad
brands (noisy, periodic loss of data, occasional crashes, etc.)?
5. Is memory=memory=memory, or is there some quality thing to watch
for?
I'm hoping that the success and horror stories of those of you who have bought
such machines will help me avoid tossing money and time down the drain.
You can answer here, or I'll summarize email. Thanx.
Gary Ericson