[comp.sys.ibm.pc] Upgrade or Replace my AT?

danderer@sun.acs.udel.edu (Dave Anderer) (10/17/89)

I'm having a hard time making a decision on what to do with my AT.  Given
the number of options and the fact that I've probably missed some ideas,
I'll throw it open to comment.

I've got an original 6 Mhz. AT, 20 Mb. disk (a 4026, as I recall), 512K
on the motherboard, serial/parallel card, text display adapter (MDA) and
monochrome display.  I purchased this machine in 1985 as part of
a program at work - total cost to me was $2000.  Not bad at the time,
especially considering my employer financed it for me over 3 years at
0%.

To that configuration I've added a Tecmar multi-function card (serial,
parallel, 128K of 64K (150 ns.) memory, 2 Mb of 256K (120 ns.) extended
memory), a VGA adapter and monitor, a game adapter, and a DeskJet+.  I've also 
swapped the crystal to change the system speed to 8 Mhz.  At the moment
the MDA, monochrome monitor, and serial/parallel adapter are sitting in
a closet.

It's a good machine for what I do - word processing (WP5.0), spreadsheet
(123 2.01), and code development on a couple projects (MSC 5.1, MASM 5.1).
I've also played around some with OS/2 1.0.

But here's the rub - I need to do some development for PM and possibly
Windows.  I can *barely* load OS/2 1.1 and some minimal dev tools on
the disk - no room for much more (including WP and 123).  OS/2 1.1 will
run - barely, sometimes - in my total of 2.6 Mb of RAM.

I'm also very cheap.

The simple answer is probably to add a memory board, another couple megs
of RAM, and another hard disk of 40 Mb or so.  I'd guess I'm looking at
$1,000 here, roughly.  (There is a bay for another HD, right?)  If I did this
I'd probably also replace the 360K floppy with a 1.44 Mb. 3.5" one.

But having said that, am I now throwing good money after bad?  Should I look
at something more drastic like also swapping the motherboard with a '386
clocked at around 20 Mhz?  The speed isn't that important to me, but for
software to come (including OS/2 2.0) the '386 is the way to go.  'Course,
if I do that, do I throw out all of my 120 ns. RAM?  And do I lose my
ability to run IBM-labled OS/2?  (Extended Edition might become a factor
for me, too.)  But I pick up EMS capability I don't have today.

So maybe the idea is to buy a new, complete '386 system and keep the AT
for DOS-only stuff with the MDA and monochrome monitor.  Of course, I'd
want to be able to use my existing VGA and other cards in the new machine
as needed, so that rules out an MCA machine.  OS/2 is also a factor.  
Quality is a factor, as is price.

Thoughts, as well as pointers to specific products, appreciated.