simon@ms.uky.edu (Simon Gales) (04/02/89)
I recently bought an AT that uses the new integrated Western Digital
motherboard WDM2, and wrote a short review on it for others who may be
considering buying one.
Hit 'n' now it you're not interested...
Motherboard: Western Digital WDM2
Computer: DataStor 286-12
This 6-layer motherboard has many built-in features/controllers:
12.5 or 6 mhz operation, norton SI = 13.2 computing index
MFM Dual Hard/Floppy disk controller
- 1:1 interleave, 32k hardware cache
Paradise EGA controller
- does normal EGA stuff plus a 640x480x16 color mode.
2 Serial ports and 1 Parallel port
ROM shadowing support in BIOS or hardware
Ps/2 Mouse Port
Coprocessor socket
Phoenix Bios - Setup in ROM - 47 hard disk types supported
- boot up at 12.5 or 6 mhz
SIMM memory (256k or 1meg, 120ns) is used on the motherboard.
Possible configurations are:
2 256k SIMMs
4 256k SIMMs
2 1meg SIMMs
2 1meg SIMMs, 2 256k SIMMs
4 1meg SIMMs
256k SIMMs cost around $150, 1meg SIMMs are about $450.
Four expansion slots (3 AT slots, 1 XT slots) are on the motherboard.
PCDOS 4.01, Microsoft C, Codeview, Windows & Word, Symphony, Kermit,
Pibterm, Turbo C, Turbo Pascal, Falcon/AT, and many other programs
work without a problem.
A tech manual is available from WD, drivers and diagnostics are included,
updates are on WD's BBS. I'm not sure, but using 80ns SIMMs might improve
performance a little.
A LIM EMS 4.0 driver was included, but this driver simple emulated EMS
by using extended memory - it is not as fast as a real EMS card, and is
much easier to crash.
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Simon Gales@University of Ky
{rutgers, uunet}!ukma!simon - simon@ms.uky.edu - simon@UKMA.BITNETmvolo@ecsvax.UUCP (Michael R. Volow) (04/03/89)
How well does this computer work compared to other ATs that you have know, heard, or read about? M Volow, VA Medical Center, Durham, NC 27705 mvolo@ecsvax.UUCP 919 286 0411