[comp.sys.laptops] AST Premium Exec laptop

stone@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Glenn Stone) (05/27/91)

A colleague is thinking about buying an AST Premium Exec.  Any 1st-hand
reports would be appreciated; email and I'll summarize if there are
very many responses.

The recent Byte review panned the AST's keyboard, but their reviews
seem to be strongly affected by the manufacturer's advertising in Byte.
Is the keyboard that bad?  Is there a plug for an external keyboard?

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  Glenn Stone                                      BITNET: stone@cunixc
  Columbia University            INTERNET: stone@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu
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lsh@polari.UUCP (Lee Hauser) (05/28/91)

In article <1991May26.190258.11142@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> stone@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Glenn Stone) writes:
>A colleague is thinking about buying an AST Premium Exec.  Any 1st-hand
>reports would be appreciated; email and I'll summarize if there are
>very many responses.
>
>The recent Byte review panned the AST's keyboard, but their reviews
>seem to be strongly affected by the manufacturer's advertising in Byte.
>Is the keyboard that bad?  Is there a plug for an external keyboard?

I've not used it a _lot_, but I have set up two for attorneys in the firm I workfor.

I don't like the keyboard quite as much as the one on my Tandy 1100FD,
but it is more than acceptable.  The layout is quite pleasant.  The
feel of the keys is fine.  The narrow function keys are a bit odd, but
not bad.  The display is very nice, and the size and speed are
wonderful.  It has external connectors for keyboard, mouse and
monitor.  Of the laptops I'm familiar with (Tandy 1400HD, Tandy
1100FD, Toshiba 3200SX, Toshiba 1200X(?), Zeos 386SX, Zenith Z100, and
the AST), I'd get the AST over any of them, all other things ie,
money, being equal.


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                                  Lee Hauser
          If I pay for access, I don't have to disclaim ANYTHING!