djb@cbnews.cb.att.com (david.j.bryant) (05/14/91)
On "Suggestions for stand alone laptop?", tomm@hpspdra.spd.HP.COM writes: > Your search is similar to one I'm doing for myself; I'd like to add > another question: I've been advised that to properly run a windows > environment (which would make the computer a bunch easier to use > for an occasional user) it really takes a 386 at 20MHz. Otherwise > the computer (and in particular the pointer device) doesn't keep > up. Can anyone comment? Not true. Check out GeoWorks Ensemble. It's a full windowing system that runs quite snappily and very well on "low end" PC's such as 8086 and 80286 machines with 640Kb of memory and a wide variety of display controllers. It does take about 3Mb of hard disk. It's very impressive on even a measly EGA monitor, and quite tolerable in monochrome. The Ensemble package also includes a terminal emulator, word processor, rolodex tool, and several others (including a nice solitare game that my 5 year old really enjoys). No spreadsheet, alas. I've seen it advertised for $150 at local PC stores, or you can get a working model for $9.95 by calling (415) 544-3456. Product reviews have appeared in numerous PC magazines. There are a few drawbacks. I'm not aware of any major software vendors that have picked up the GeoWorks API and offered compatible versions of their software, but hopefully that'll happen soon. It requires a mouse to run, though it doesn't work with the AT&T keyboard mouse on my PC6300+. And I'd be happier if its price was competetive with MS/windows. [Disclaimer: I have no connection with GeoWorks -- I just like their software.] UUCP: att!cbosgd!djb David Bryant att!cborion!djb AT&T Bell Laboratories INTERNET: djb@cborion.cb.att.com Room 1B-256 djb@cbosgd.att.com 6200 East Broad Street PHONE: (614) 860-4516 Columbus, Ohio 43213 FAX: (614) 868-4302
sjbutl@mac.cc.macalstr.edu (05/15/91)
In article <1991May14.105234.9451@cbnews.cb.att.com>, djb@cbnews.cb.att.com (david.j.bryant) helps out (in reply): > On "Suggestions for stand alone laptop?", tomm@hpspdra.spd.HP.COM writes: >> ... I've been advised that to properly run a windows >> environment (which would make the computer a bunch easier to use >> for an occasional user) it really takes a 386 at 20MHz. Otherwise >> the computer (and in particular the pointer device) doesn't keep >> up. Can anyone comment? (David's Geoworks comments skipped) I run windows 3 on a Trac 286-12 (albeit with 4 megs of ram) and can't complain too much. The "speed" (technical term!) of the screen can't really keep up with windows on my pokey machine, so I'm not sure if a faster cpu would help too much. Yeah, msword gets kinda slow, but I just finished a 60 page paper with lots of mathematical doo-hickies and it was quite tolerable for the most part. Of course, I don't get all the benefits of a 386, but then again, I can only do one thing at a time so I never miss multitasking ;') You might want to try out windows on a 286 laptop. Its far from perfect, but its good enough for me - but then again I only use word, qvt, and play games! Oh yeah, I also worked with turbo c++ under windows...I thought the compilier was kinda slow (much slower than zortech) but that might be the compiler and not just the sheer brute strength of my 286-12! - john