joel@cfctech.cfc.com (Joel Lessenberry) (02/20/91)
My trusty old xt clone with its 286 accelerator, (which
used to run win 286 just fine), does not cut it anymore.
If only I had a little bit of memory right there--->.
The question I am seeking answers for is, what is the best
system to run windows 3.0 on at a low cost??
1. A fast 286 (16 Mhz). I have a 287 from the above
accellerator, and could afford a lot of memory.
2. A 386sx (16 or 20 Mhz?). My coprocessor would not work,
and it would be a while before I could by one. I could afford
a decent amount of memory.
3. A real 386 (25 Mhz). Stretching my budget a bit, pc-brand
sells base systems for about $1000. Probably would have to
limit the memory I could buy, but I could get at least
2 Megs. A long time ago, some of the 386 system boards
supported the 287 coproc. Do any of them still??
You may post or E-mail replies, I will summarize to the net if
I get enough to warrent.
joel
Joel Lessenberry, Distributed Systems | +1 313 948 3342
joel@cfctech.UUCP | Chrysler Financial Corp.
joel%cfctech.uucp@mailgw.cc.umich.edu | MIS, Technical Services
{sharkey|mailrus}!cfctech!joel | 2777 Franklin, Sfld, MIdonnel@helix.nih.gov (Donald A. Lehn) (02/21/91)
In article <1991Feb20.130139.4506@cfctech.cfc.com> joel@cfctech.cfc.com (Joel Lessenberry) writes: > > My trusty old xt clone with its 286 accelerator, (which > used to run win 286 just fine), does not cut it anymore. > If only I had a little bit of memory right there--->. > > The question I am seeking answers for is, what is the best > system to run windows 3.0 on at a low cost?? > > 1. A fast 286 (16 Mhz). I have a 287 from the above > accellerator, and could afford a lot of memory. > > 2. A 386sx (16 or 20 Mhz?). My coprocessor would not work, > and it would be a while before I could by one. I could afford > a decent amount of memory. > > 3. A real 386 (25 Mhz). Stretching my budget a bit, pc-brand > sells base systems for about $1000. Probably would have to > limit the memory I could buy, but I could get at least > 2 Megs. A long time ago, some of the 386 system boards > supported the 287 coproc. Do any of them still?? > > You may post or E-mail replies, I will summarize to the net if > I get enough to warrent. > > joel > > > > Joel Lessenberry, Distributed Systems | +1 313 948 3342 > joel@cfctech.UUCP | Chrysler Financial Corp. > joel%cfctech.uucp@mailgw.cc.umich.edu | MIS, Technical Services > {sharkey|mailrus}!cfctech!joel | 2777 Franklin, Sfld, MI To: joel@cfctech.cfc.com Subject: Re: system choices Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms In-Reply-To: <1991Feb20.130139.4506@cfctech.cfc.com> Organization: National Institutes of Health, Bethesda Cc: Bcc: I'm sure that you will get a lot of replies that you should but a 386 or 386sx computer but I'm not sure if this is the best deal avaliable. If you don't plan on running multiple concurrent DOS programs then the 386 might be a waste of money at this time. If you are like me and run mostly windows applications under windows (Word for Windows, Exel, Pagemaker, Corel Draw, Crosstalk for Windows .......!! etc....!) then a 286 with "LOTS" of memory and a "FAST" hard disk will run most applications as fast as you average mediocre 386sx. At work I use an IBM Model 80 that has 2mb Ram, 80mb hard disk and mathcoproccesor. It actually runs slower than my own AT (12MHz Norton SI=13.7) with 7mb memory. It is well accepted that Windows runs windows programs faster if it is run in standard mode. Therefore if you plan to run the majority of your programs in standard mode you should buy a good 286. (Remember, a 12MHz 286 runs the bus at 12MHz while a 16MHz runs the bus at 8MHz. Therefore, certain applications that are "bus intensive" will run faster on the 12MHz than on the 16MHz. This includes most disk intensive windows applications. All 386 boxes run the bus at 8MHz.) In summary, for the price of the average 386sx, you can buy a 286 with "LOTS" of memory. Since AT motherboards run about $129, it will not be a major loss if you decide that you need a 386 or 486 in the future. By then the prices of 386 and 486 boards will have dropped by that amount so that your loss of the money you invest in a 286 now will turn out to be negligable over the long run. If you do buy a 286 motherboard, be sure to buy one that has simms and buy fast simms (at least 80MHz) that way you can use this memory on any future motherboard you buy. I hope this has been helpful. Best regards, Don Lehn