ttang@puff.cs.wisc.edu (Theodore Tang) (04/19/88)
Here are the responses I received regarding the Intel Inboard 386/PC:
Ours (in a "real" IBM XT) REALLY makes a night and day difference. The
machine runs a zillion times faster than before (I might also note that
our hard-disk is a "fast" one, 28mS I think). We've no problems with it.
The performance is more impressive "seen", than anticipated. We haven't
tried any games -- only things like schematic capture, etc programs....
Get one, you'll like it (if it fits properly).
Mike Kersenbrock
Tektronix Microcomputer Development Products
Aloha, Oregon
I'm am VERY impressed so far. Norton's SI says at fastest speed (no
wait states) it's 16.5 x as fast as the XT (there are four ranging
from 3.x to 16.5). I've run a fair share of the PC Magazine
benchmarks (including windows benchmarks), and it seems to get arating
of about 2x the speed of an 8MHz AT. The 386 test says it's .8 the
speed of a Compaq 386. It runs with all the software I've thrown at
it EXCEPT some of the software that uses the serial port (Mouse,
modem). I have to slow the beast down a notch for Telio (my comm
program) to work well. Ditto the Mouse Systems mouse diagnostics
program.
I did have to pull my memory board, but it will coexist with expanded
memory boards.
The disk caching is also quite good, and you can install/de-install
anytime.
The only question in my mind is whether it is a contributor to a
problem I'm having with a low-level disk formatter, something most
people never see. Could as eeasily be my disk controller.
You've got a good price. I got mine for the same from PC Connecvtion.
BCS members get free shipping and it arrived as promised (2 days!).
The cable is just long enough to go in one of the first two slots in a
PC, MAYBE the third but I don't think so. Certainly no further.
You also have to remove an 8087 if you have one.
[author lost]
Now from my experiences:
Intel has a five year warantee on this unit but only on specific machines.
Another words, they will not do warantee work on this unit if used in a
computer other than an IBM PC, IBM XT, Compaq, and Tandy; this includes the
IBM portable PC.
Therefore, I am no longer interested in the product and am looking towards
alternatives, ie 286 motherboards (but only thing stopping me here is the
lack of memory chips {kind of need 60ns 256K RAMs, 1 meg worth}).
To those who responded, either with information or desire to gain information
from me, thank you and good luck.
Theodore Tang (Ted) @ University of Wisconsin at Madison
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slowest Mail: 122 1/2 North Orchard St, Madison, WI 53715 USAwtm@neoucom.UUCP (Bill Mayhew) (04/20/88)
We tried to get the Inboard to work in the AST Premium 286. After standing on our heads and trying all sorts of stuff (even after about an hour on the phone with Intel), we were forced to give up. The unusual 32 bit memory in the AST Premium seems to be the SNAFU. Even with all the indigenous memory out of the AST, we could only get it to go part way though the POST. Intel said that our cable was bad, and sent us a new cable and several odd looking leadless chip carrier clips. Needless to say, the cable and chip carrier chips were not at fault. Subsequently, before sending the Inboard back from whence it came, we tried it in a tandy 3000, and it worked without any apparent problems. --Bill