kboyce@swift.cs.tcd.ie (06/23/91)
Greetings, I'm intending to buy a notebook computer in the next 6 weeks. Because of travelling, etc. I will not have adequate access to a desktop machine for the next 18 months. As a result, I will need at least a 386SX with 40MB hard drive, 3 - 5 MB RAM, coprocessor slot, etc. Length of time away from power points may also be an issue, although I don't mind carrying a spare battery pack around with me. Unfortunately, money is an issue; I'm limited to about $3,000. Has anyone any ideas/suggestions as to what machines I should be looking at. I was originally thinking of the Zeos, but then I heard of Auva. I don't have the full spec, as I only heard it by word of mouth. I've been told that its a 386SX machine, 40MB hard drive, 1.44 MB floppy, 2(?) MB RAM, for about $2,200 (educational). Any practical information on either of these two would be appreciated. One other question, what is the situation with an expansion chassis ? Do only some notebooks take them (If so, which ones) ? Is the expansion chassis specific to a particular model of machine ? etc. Basically, I'll probably need to add synthetic speech pack to the notebook. What are the expansion possibilities with notebooks ? Finally, has anyone heard of any other 386SL machine besides the Zenith. What are the chances of others coming onto the market in the next few months? Any more news on the bug reported with the chip? Thanks, Kieran Boyce kboyce@swift.cs.tcd.ie