iemasgn@prism.gatech.EDU (Gautham,Nalamada) (02/23/90)
I did take a long time to summarize but here is a list of all the suggestions and advices I got, I have also e-mailed this to everyone who requested. As for me I got the Computer where I got the orginal offer from, I finally got a true 386(20Mhz), 40 Mb Seagate Hard Drive with MFM controller, 1.2Mb 5 1/4 drive, 1.44Mb 3 1/2 drive, VGA monitor(.31) and card(256k) and 4Mb RAM (Thanks to Horkan (:-)) for $2,300. This from a mail order MC Systems in San Jose, CA. As of today it is running fine. --Gautham ======================================================================= In article <4935@hydra.gatech.EDU> I wrote: >Having decided to go in for a 386 machine, I have been looking >around for a good deal and have been surprised (an understatement) >at the variation in prices and performances. Finally the best >deal I could get was $1850 for a 386sx(20Mhz) with 40mb, 1.2mb drive, >1mb RAM. >I will be really grateful, if anyone who has brought a 386 machine >recently would e-mail their experinces and the performances >of their machines. >I will be mainly be programming on this machine and anyone who >has any advice or suggestion to make may please do so. ======================================================================= From: victor@doyle.cs.concordia.ca If you enjoy doing multi-tasking (or at least planning to...), I hear tell that a straight 386 is the way to go. If you are planning to run Unix, again, go for the straight 386 with the 32 bit external architecture. Read about it in this month's issue of Byte (and next month's) in the /bin section. I too have been shopping lately. The bargain basement type computers often do have disadvantages compared to some of the big names: a) service b) quality parts c) standardized parts (all units have identical components) d) parts that work well together (eg. using PS/2 BIOS in a non-PS/2 system because the company got a good deal at the time. Bad boys!! Take your time, read the gossip magazines (eg. Byte), and talk to many people who have had experiences. Investigate bargain computers to find out how they can price so low (always a reason) and determine if you can live with these "drawbacks". Good luck. Victor. victor@concour.cs.concordia.ca ==================================================================== From: scott@cie.uoregon.edu I think that is a very high price for just an SX machine. You should subscribe to info386. (an automated mailing list) I bought my 25MHz 80386 motherboard for $800, added 4 Mb, and a case very cheaply for $450, and $100 and I just bought an RLL controller and a 1.4 Mb floppy for $200. Next, I'll buy a 65 Mb RLL hard drive for $350 and some graphics stuff. This price is _much_ cheaper than you'd find this kind of system for all put together by a clone manufacturer. I'm no hard- ware whiz either, but all that need be done is plugging the stuff together. (It does work right now. It does the self test. No display yet however.) If you wish a cheaper system, you can get motherboards (real 386 20 MHz) for about $500-$600 now and you can save on the controller and hard drives by buying low capacity MFM. ======================================================================== From: kmont@hpindda.HP.COM (Kevin Montgomery) sounds kinda expensive. Lowest I've seen was in a Fry's ad for a 20MHz 386 box (not SX) with 1meg, HD/FD controller, 1.2M floppy for $999. Have also seen quite a few others for ~$1200. At these prices, you're paying ~$600-800 for the 40M hard disk, which you should be able to get for much cheaper (hint: I'm getting a SCSI controller/104M disk for ~$800!). Maybe check out a Computer Shopper Mag.... ======================================================================== From: caseyng@cie.uoregon.edu Hi, for $1850, I think you can get a real 386 at 20Mhz instead of the SX. However, do be careful that the quality of components that goes into the machine can vary a great deal, be sure your machine will not die prematurely due to component failure. casey ======================================================================== From: gary@dvnspc1.DEV.UNISYS.COM (Gary Barrett) Note that a 386sx-based machine is not the same as a "386 system". A 386sx chip is identical to a 386 except that it accesses memory in 16-bit chunks, not 32. In memory intensive applications, a 386sx machine can run significantly slower than a full 386. --- Gary L. Barrett ======================================================================== From: scott@cie.uoregon.edu Subject: To have your name put on the info-386 mail to 386users-request@udel.edu and ask to have your name and email addr. put on their list for the mailings. If the system you mentioned is true 386, it is worth about $1800 or so, but if you are just buying it because of the price and plan to later upgrade it, watch out. It is probably cheaper to buy what you want from the start than to buy low and work up. It does look like a good deal though. ======================================================================== From: drac@igloo.Scum.com (Bruce Maynard) You can indeed do a *great* deal better on price... from your posting, I assume you've never read the Computer Shopper? You can get a TRUE '386 with HD, mono monitor and card, 1mb ram, etc for a coupla hundred LESS than what you posted... (not some wimpy li'l SX 8-{)} ). Personally, I pieced mine together from parts, but bought the motherboard and memory from Sprite in California (I'd include the address, but have misplaced it... s/b able to find it thru directory assistance tho), and it's 20-mhz, 2mb, and ran less than a thousand (motherboard and RAM only)... a decent case and pwr supply is as low as $60... add a keyboard and monitor and other schtuff and yer all set (and I'm VERY please with my Sprite) ======================================================================== From: althea!eddjp@gatech (Dewey Paciaffi) Hello. I recently (Oct.) purchased a 16 Mhz 386SX from an outfit called PC BRANDS ( they have a multi-page spread each month in PC Magazine and others ) I am extremely pleased with it. They had the lowest price of any reputable Mail Order outfit. I got a 16 bit VGA, Samsumg VGA monitor, a Mini-Scribe 71 MB HD, 2 MB memory, 2 serial ports, a parallel port and a game port for $2705. With smaller items and EGA the price drops to around 1800. BEWARE of 20 Mhz 386SX machines. There are NO 20 Mhz 386 SX chips available at this time. Some manufacturers drive the 16 Mhz chips at 20 Mhz. This is a bad practice. Some software may not work on a 20 Mhz 386 SX. I have a 32 MB DOS partitition on my drive and a 40 MB UNIX partition. Under DOS I run Windows, Desqview, Microsoft C compiler and much other software without any compatibility problems. Also the UNIX (Xenix) Runs without a single problem. Hope this Helps. Dewey Paciaffi eddjp@althea.UUCP ======================================================================== From: lantz@skvax1.csc.ti.com (Fetcher of Large Rocks) I purchased a Five Star 20MHz 386 machine in the middle of the year and I have been very pleased with it. I have an 80387 and have two hard disk with a total storage of over 150Meg. I am running DOS release 4.01 and OS/2 Release 2.1 and I have successfully installed and executed HP's New Wave interface which sits on top of windows. I have both windows 286 and 386 but recently pulled 386 off the system because the program I need have that requires multiple copies (Harvard Graphics) just did not perform. I found that Desqview did exactly what I wanted (generate plots to an HP plotter in background while creating other plots in foreground). I had a few problems and found the Five Star support to be knowledgeable and quick. Another advantage is that Five Star takes American Express which extends the protection for a year and gives a 90-day insurance against anything. Bernie Lantz Adjunct Professor University of Dallas Irving, Texas. ======================================================================== From: Jason Ari Goldstein <jg3o+@andrew.cmu.edu> I just recently purchased a 386(25Mhz) with 4 M Ram, 160 M HD, 3 1/2" and 5 1/4" Drives, NEC Multisync 3D Monitor and Orchid Prodesigner VGA card (512k) and a 32k Ram Cache for $3720 shipped. It seems like a really nice machine I have no software to test the performance. As for programming on any PC stick with Borland's Turbo series of software. They are really nice, especially if you can afford the Profeesional version. They'll generate code for 386/286/8088 just by choosing from the menu. By the way I purchased from EPS Technolgies (See any Computer Shopper) Later...Jason ======================================================================== From: paula@atc.boeing.com You asked in 386-users about experience people have had with recent 386 purchases. I bought a machine about 4 months ago. It's a 25MHz 386 (not SX!) with interleaved memory, 4Mb of memory, a 65Mb disk, a 1.2M floppy, 2S1P, and 16-bit color VGA. I paid $2500. I got the machine from a local clone shop. The base price for the machine with 1Mb, 65Mb disk, 1.2 floppy, Hercules monochrome, and no serial/parallel ports is $1600. It's got the AMI BIOS, which means you can adjust the bus timing to suit the cards you happen to have installed. My machine is certainly faster than the $1850 SX box you're looking at! I'm quite happy with it. Happy hunting! Paul Allen pallen@atc.boeing.com ======================================================================== From: karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Karl Denninger) Remember one thing though -- you do (much of the time) get what you pay for. Perhaps that "cheap" system mentioned in the Fry's ads (or anyone else's) will work just fine. But perhaps it won't. That is the time you appreciated (or curse) the quality of the dealer that is behind it. The places that buy cheapest also skimp to some degree on the quality of their products. We've had lots of examples...... from serial ports to motherboards to power supplies, there is nothing that you can't make a little cheaper and sell for less -- if you're willing to give up some of the quality. For some people the risk is worth it. For others it's not. We're one of those who think it's a bad trade-off. If you have a cheapie, and it fails, you're out the system for (n) days/weeks/months getting it fixed. If the company you bought it from goes away, your warranty is likely worthless -- and you will get to pay for the repairs yourself! One motherboard failure will wipe out your savings and then some. Think before you buy, and make sure you're comfortable with the answers you get to the questions you should be asking before purchase (ie: warranty for how long, how do you handle warranty repairs, how long have you been selling systems, etc). Yes, we sell systems. We're >not< the low-price leader. This is deliberate; we sell only high-quality components in our systems, and back it up with an excellent track record and warranty policy. Sure, we make a buck on our systems -- but the customer gets something for that buck. Be careful out there -- a couple of thousand on a bad system purchase is an awful lot of money to waste! -- Karl Denninger (karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM, <well-connected>!ddsw1!karl) Public Access Data Line: [+1 708 566-8911], Voice: [+1 708 566-8910] Macro Computer Solutions, Inc. "Quality Solutions at a Fair Price" ======================================================================== From: tt3x@vax5.cit.cornell.edu If you look around the mail order computer dealers in Computer Shopper, you will find that there are many companies that sell even 25 megahertz real 386 clones for less than $1850. Although this may sound unbelieveable, it is true due to the introductions of 33 mhz and 486 computers. The only drawback is that these 25 mhz 386 clones aren't as fast as say Everex or ALR 25's, they are indeed true 25 mhz rated 386 processors faster than a 20 mhz SX. Thus, I would recommend that you shop around a little more before deciding to get a 386SX. ======================================================================== -- --------------------------------------------------------------------- "Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" "That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat. --Lewis Carrol