chris@conexch.UUCP (Chris Bailey) (07/10/89)
Help! I need a source for really cheap 386 motherboards and computer
cases (tower preferably). This can either be a retailer, or a
distributor or whatever. It can be mail order or anything, I just
need a cheap 386 - 16MHz motherboard. Thanx. Also any recommendations
for places that are very inexpensive for all peripherals would be
very helpful. I am building my own system. Thanx!
Chris Baileykarl@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Karl Denninger) (07/12/89)
>Item 4230 (0 responses) by chris at conexch.UUCP on Mon 10 Jul 89 09:16 >[Chris Bailey] Subject: 386 motherboards and cases > >Help! I need a source for really cheap 386 motherboards and computer >cases (tower preferably). This can either be a retailer, or a >distributor or whatever. It can be mail order or anything, I just >need a cheap 386 - 16MHz motherboard. Thanx. Also any recommendations >for places that are very inexpensive for all peripherals would be >very helpful. I am building my own system. Thanx! Chris (and others who are doing the same thing): Before you run out and buy the cheapest thing you can find, think. When it comes to computer equipment, you often do get what you pay for. The "cheap" boards may be just that -- cheapened. Or service may be lacking (or non-existant!) Parts run beyond specification, shoddy workmanship, or "seconds"; all of these are quite possible and can lead to early failure. It is, in most cases, far better to spend a little more and get something of known quality and reliability. You don't have to spend a LOT more -- but shop the company as well as the price. After all, today most of these boards have at least some surface mount componentry -- and ALL are multilayer and thus very tricky to work on without damaging them. This means that if the board you buy fails, and the company you bought it from no longer exists or refuses to work on it, you get to buy it again. Not a good prospect with motherboards being in the $700-1000 range! Also consider that if you do "roll your own" you have no FCC certification. This is not usually a problem for personal use, but if your homebrew system interferes with the neighbor's TV you CAN be forced to stop using it -- or find a way to prevent the interferance. You have no neighbors? Well, what if YOU want to watch TV with the system on? 1/2 :-) If you fail to consider these things, you may be the next person posting a tale of woe like Miriam Nadel and others have here recently. And I, for one, hate to see people suffering with gear that doesn't work. Disclaimer: We sell both boards and systems; we also do a lot of repair work on no-name clones. -- Karl Denninger (karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM, <well-connected>!ddsw1!karl) Public Access Data Line: [+1 312 566-8911], Voice: [+1 312 566-8910] Macro Computer Solutions, Inc. "Quality Solutions at a Fair Price"
mms00786@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (07/14/89)
I totally, totally agree with the note on getting what you pay for. I personally ordered a Gateway 2000, probably the cheapest machine on the market for a 4Meg machine. The trouble with computer equipment is this: paying incrementally more usually results in incrementally more performance, but paying incrementally less usually has a black and white quality to it - it works or not at all. The Gateway machine refused to run Windows/386 and parts of Lotus Manuscript. These are programs I use 99% of the time, so the end result was this : I paid 3700 dollars for a paper weight. I, too, strongly recommend shopping the company. I hope to buy my next one from a company that offers on site service. Surprisingly, this is not a very costly option: Zeos offers one for $50 (?) a year, CompuAdd offers for free. That is barely the cost of sending the machine back ONCE. So unless your time is totally worthless, work overtime a couple of days, use the money to pay the difference, and save your marriage, your sanity, your social standing, and a lot of money in phone calls and return postage. Hope this helps. Milan mms00786@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu .