segre@uicsl.UUCP (06/17/86)
Posted for a friend without news access. Please reply directly to:
ARPA: Ram-Ashwin@yale
UUCP: ...{decvax, etc}!yale!Ram-Ashwin
BITNET: Ram-Ashwin@yalecs
Thanks.
=============================================================================
I am thinking about buying a PC, and would appreciate any
recommendations/suggestions/comments/hints/etc, both positive
and negative. If you have had a good or bad experience with
a particular PC, please pass it on.
Among the factors that are important to me are:
1. My anticipated usage: local -- text editing
pascal
fortran
fun
remote -- remote login to: -- Apollo/Aegis
-- Vax/VMS
file transfer (kermit, ftp) to same.
2. Additional pluses: -- graphics (local, as well as in remote login)
-- mouse
-- terminal emulators
-- lisp of some kind
-- user interface, usability
-- unix or unix-like or unix-compatible
3. Options: -- memory, disk, printer, monitor, modem (baud rate?), ...
-- how modular?
4. Price: -- base price (hopefully under $1000, but...)
-- which options are standard, and which extra?
-- student/Yale discounts?
5. Software: -- availability
-- compatibility with other standard PCs and OSs
Obvious candidates are: -- Atari 520st etc.
-- IBM PC
-- IBM PC clones (Compaq, etc.)
-- Amiga
-- Apple Macintosh or Macintosh Plus
I would appreciate an evaluation of these or any others with respect
to the above criteria and any additional stuff you can think of. I
don't need benchmarks; opinions would be ideal. If you own a PC or
have played with one, I'd like to hear about what you liked and didn't
like about that PC.
Ashwin Ram