nakamoto@joplin.mpr.ca (Alan Nakamoto) (10/27/89)
I currently own an AST Premium /286 but want to upgrade to a 386 computer. I am interested in getting their Fastboard /386 which will plug into the Smartslots but I have a some questions that I hope that someone might be able to answer. 1) How does it perform ? (software compatible, speed, etc.) 2) I currently have an old RAM board for the 286 that has 2 Mb. of RAM on it, I know that the Fastboard will work with AST's new 8 Mb. board but will it also work with the old one ? 3) Do I need to upgrade my BIOS at all? I have an older AST which has the old Phoenix 3.02 BIOS. Does this need to be upgraded ? Thanks in advance... Alan Nakamoto Pacific Microelectronics Centre Burnaby B.C. (604)-293-6052
carlson@gateway.mitre.org (Bruce Carlson) (10/27/89)
In article <1845@eric.mpr.ca> nakamoto@joplin.mpr.ca (Alan Nakamoto) writes: > I currently own an AST Premium /286 but want to upgrade >to a 386 computer. I am interested in getting their Fastboard /386 >which will plug into the Smartslots but I have a some questions >that I hope that someone might be able to answer. >material deleted ... >Alan Nakamoto I called AST and asked about this upgrade - you might want to do the same thing to resolve the questions about your bios and memory card. However, I found one major disadvantage with this upgrade - price! The retail was $2000 and the dealer discounted price was about $1500 (the board includes one mbyte of memory). For $1500 I could buy any of several replacement motherboards, or I could buy a complete 80386 PC and move all the accessories (disk, video, etc) over from my AST 286. I just don't think it is cost effective to spend $1500 to convert when there are many other alternatives in this price range. Bruce Carlson Mclean, VA (703) 883-7644
carl@legs.legs (Carl E. Garringer) (11/03/89)
in article <1845@eric.mpr.ca>, nakamoto@joplin.mpr.ca (Alan Nakamoto) says: > > > I currently own an AST Premium /286 but want to upgrade > to a 386 computer. I am interested in getting their Fastboard /386 > which will plug into the Smartslots but I have a some questions > that I hope that someone might be able to answer. > > 1) How does it perform ? (software compatible, speed, etc.) > > 2) I currently have an old RAM board for the 286 that has > 2 Mb. of RAM on it, I know that the Fastboard will work > with AST's new 8 Mb. board but will it also work with > the old one ? Memory Use Trade-offs to Consider When Purchasing an AST fASTboard/386 Frank C. Vibrans, III 30 October 1989 For users who have Premium 286's, a simple upgrade to the 386 world would appear to be the purchase of an AST fASTboard/386. There are some memory use constraints that must be understood before this decision is made. First of all there are the basic hardware differences that occur. The Premium 286 has a memory space that is 16 bits wide and is completely paged, i.e. the entire conventional memory space is backfilled using expanded memory. This allows for complete support of the EMS 4.0 spec- ification. The fASTboard/386 has a 32 bit wide memory space that appears as an installed conventional/extended memory that cannot be paged into using external expanded memory boards. This limits the fASTboard memory space to an EMS 3.2 implementation using external boards, or an EMS 4.0 implementation using a 386 specific expanded memory emulator (ASTEMM.SYS). In the second place there are the conflicts involved with memory configuration. The fASTram boards (the native memory of the Premium 286) have legal starting addresses of 0 and 2 Mb. The fASTboard/386 has a memory starting address of 0, and furthermore, to use the fASTboard, it must have its memory at the 0 address. These conflicts present the user with the following two major alter- natives: 1) Limit the fASTboard memory to 2 Mb and use the fASTram memory as strictly linear memory starting at the 2 Mb boundary. Further expansion of the memory space would have to be done using RAMPage cards (8 bit, 1+ wait state memory) configured as linear memory starting at the appropriate boundary (4 Mb, etc.). This config- uration would provide the means for the ASTEMM.SYS expanded memory emulator to implement EMS 4.0 expanded memory capability. Memory capacity is not strictly constrained, but performance is because the smaller (narrower) memories are slower than the 32 bit wide 386 native memory. 2) Use the fASTram memory as strictly expanded memory, and the fASTboard/386 memory as conventional/extended only. This specific configuration would limit the expanded memory size to 2 Mb and the capability to EMS 3.2 since the expanded memory couldn't be paged into the conventional memory space below 640Kb. This setup would further prohibit the user from using the 386 memory as paged memory since the expanded memory driver, REMM.SYS, doesn't know about the 386 paging register scheme. This configuration doesn't particularly limit the amount of 32 bit native memory, but it does limit the amount and capability of the expanded memory. This would primarily impact such programs as Quarterdeck's "DESQView" and Microsoft's "Windows/286". Any 386 specific expanded memory manager (ASTEMM, QEMM, etc) would NOT recognize the fASTram expanded memory. Other alternatives that exist include replacing the fASTram with an Advanced fASTram board for more memory capacity, or buying one of our new CUPID architecture machines. Other possibilities may exist, but they will be slight variations of the alternatives offered above. Good luck! > > 3) Do I need to upgrade my BIOS at all? I have an older AST > which has the old Phoenix 3.02 BIOS. Does this need to be > upgraded ? yes, it must be upgraded. > > Thanks in advance... > > Alan Nakamoto > Pacific Microelectronics Centre > Burnaby B.C. (604)-293-6052 -- Carl E. Garringer uucp: ...ccicpg!legs!carl c/o AST Research Inc. Dept 660 fax: (714) 476-3879 2722 Michelson Drive Tel: (714) 476-3833 Irvine, California 92715-1603