gardiner@umn-cs.cs.umn.edu (David Gardiner) (02/09/90)
Has anyone out there tried a Dell 316LT? How good is it? How does it compare to the wish lists being posted? Thanks for any info. David Gardiner
stecz@hotwheel.dell.com (John Steczkowski) (02/09/90)
In article <1990Feb8.210206.3035@umn-cs.cs.umn.edu>, gardiner@umn-cs.cs.umn.edu (David Gardiner) writes: > Has anyone out there tried a Dell 316LT? How good is it? How > does it compare to the wish lists being posted? > > Thanks for any info. > > David Gardiner I think are laptop is pretty good, (Maybe I'm just prejudiced). I saw a demo of the 316LT next to an NEC and a Compaq, and the Dell display is much nicer, it uses the same Supertwist LCD panel as the Compaq, so the display was just as nice as the Compaq, generally, but we have a few enhancements, one of them is a utility that enhances the shading, so the grey scales are much more distinct, and the other is the capability to reverse the shades. Reversing the shades, makes graphics turn out in non-negative format, so the pictures look more realistic. Also, we now support Dell Unix on the 316LT. It runs real well, even X-windows... John Steczkowski Dell Unix Customer Support P#: (512) 343-3571 9505 Arboretum Blvd. !s: uunet!dell!hotwheel!stecz Austin, Texas 78759 @s: stecz@hotwheel.dell.com
job@sequoia.UUCP (Mark Job) (02/10/90)
In article <1990Feb8.210206.3035@umn-cs.cs.umn.edu> gardiner@umn-cs.cs.umn.edu (David Gardiner) writes: >Has anyone out there tried a Dell 316LT? How good is it? How >does it compare to the wish lists being posted? > See the 22 January issue of PC Week, page 17-22, for a comparative review of 386SX battery powered laptops. The Dell came in second, ahead of the Zenith Supersport SX, but behind the Toshiba T3100SX. Its price is roughly the same as the Toshiba (considering you never buy Tosh at list), has an 8-bit half card ISA slot, but is a little light on battery life (1.5 hrs). Sounds like a very good effort for their first laptop, and will undoubtedly get less scowls than a Toshiba if you tote it into a Defense contrator's shop to work. BTW, I have no connection with any of the above vendors or PC Week. -- --- Above is IMHO, not ESC's --*:*:*:*:*:*:*--------------------------------- UUCP: ...!cs.utexas.edu!execu!job * "As far as we know, our computer has Internet: execu!job@cs.utexas.edu * never had an undetected error." job%execu.uucp@cs.utexas.edu * - C.H. Weisert, Union Carbide Corp.
reiniger@ug.cs.dal.ca (Darren Reiniger) (10/10/90)
Would anyone out in netland have any bricks or bouquets to lavish upon the dell 316lt laptop. I see it's been getting some nice reviews in magazines, but how does it fair in the 'real world'. A summary will be provided if the interest exists. e-mail or post, I'll see it all. Thanks, DRN -- Darren Reiniger reiniger@ug.cs.dal.ca | People who wonder where this generation is going should remind themselves | | where it came from in the first place. |
lairdkb@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Kyler Laird) (10/10/90)
(I'm using a 316LT to compose this. But don't blame it for the mistakes.) I had been without a working computer of my own for awhile when I started looking at laptops. I have an original IBM-PC, so I didn't want to duplicate the power of that. I wanted to get back to the 386 power I had before. Price was a MAJOR concern. Dell and Toshiba were the only two in the running after I looked through magazines for awhile. I finally purchased a Dell 316LT with 4Meg RAM, 40Meg HD, (2/1.44Meg 3.5") and 9600FAX/2400MNP5Data MODEM for $3933 (incl. shipping, COD...) So far, I haven't seen a Toshiba with all this come close. The Dell offers an 8-bit (some others offer 16-bit) ISA bus half slot. Dells come with one year Xerox on-site service agreement, and 30-day trial period. Dell personnel are nice, and know stuff too. They are even willing to FAX schematics! Downside -------- Batteries (two included) only last 2 hours (max.). Toshiba's are reported to last a bit longer. Standby button (force screen and hard drive down) won't work with OS/2 or Win/386. Using the hard drive sleep mode causes OS/2 (1.1) to crash when it tries to access a sleeping drive. Memory is volatile (unlike Toshiba). LCD screen streaks (Toshiba uses plasma?). The 20MHz model has an updated screen. Haven't seen it yet. Dell's only recommendation for running off 12VDC is to purchase a $200 inverter to go to 120VAC, then plug their (huge) power supply into that. No way! The plug into the computer isn't standard, but I'm going to try getting a hold of one. It took me an hour before I finally got dumped on Dell's Tech line trying to order a power cord from them. The VGA circuitry can't drive the LCD screen and the external monitor at the same time. Personal note: When I ordered, I agreed to pay COD with a personal check. I got a call back a day or so later. I returned it the next day. My system was on hold (not even being built) until I provided financial info proving I could pay. This upset me for two reasons. First, I ordered the Dell after being guaranteed a ship date of about 5 days. (I don't remember exactly - there was a holiday in there somewhere.) This was important because I was needing it for some publishing I needed to do the next week. Second, they agreed to send it COD for a personal check. Then they just changed their minds. I have a feeling they did a check on my bank account. I never authorized any such check. (My father was supporting this venture.) I settled this by turning down the request for financial info. The woman seemed genuinely confused at my reluctance to let her in on my life. She probably doesn't think twice about drug testing, either... Getting the cashier's check turned out to be a bit of a pain. My bank did the same quick change as Dell did. They held my check for x days. Then held it over the weekend to boot just for kicks. This was NOT Dell's fault - just more frustration. But all the checks have gone full circle by now, and I've been using my Dell for over a month (past the 30-day trial...). Even my SO used it in the car on a late night drive back from Indy - got a lot of work done. Laptops are great! At 15 lbs. I don't carry it everywhere, but it's great to have in the car on trips, and I can set it down next to the computer I use for printing. (Still have to swap disks - not a big deal.) The FAX/Data MODEM one of the 'must-have' options for a laptop. I plug in whenever I'm waiting on ???. Keeps me up to date on my group project. One more story: I had the laptop in my car when I went home (the farm) to work one weekend. I was out under a combine when Dad came out to tell me he had just talked to the aide of a Congressman he interviews (he's a radio personality, also) regularly about a law my Dad was trying to change. Turned out that he had gotten his wish. The aide offered to FAX copies of all the documents to my father, but he of course had no way of receiving them. I immediately offered my laptop, and we soon had the docs. He then called the radio station with an announcement based on the FAXed docs. Pretty handy! I'll be happy to try to answer any Dell specific questions. Good luck on your decision! --kyler
irv@happym.wa.com (Irving [h] Wolfe) (10/12/90)
I spoke with Dell a day or two ago and they said they didn't have the 120MB discs they'd announced, so the product was 40MB only. For me, that's a problem, otherwise I might've bought the 320, though something with 2 standard slots instead of 1 half slot would be a lot nicer. -- Irving Wolfe Happy Man Corp. irv@happym.wa.com 206/463-9399 ext.101 4410 SW Point Robinson Road, Vashon Island, WA 98070-7399 fax ext.116 SOLID VALUE, the investment letter for Benj. Graham's intelligent investors
lairdkb@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Kyler Laird) (10/12/90)
In article <861@happym.wa.com> irv@happym.wa.com (Irving [h] Wolfe) writes: >I spoke with Dell a day or two ago and they said they didn't have the 120MB >discs they'd announced, so the product was 40MB only. For me, that's a When I bought my 316 ('bout a month ago), I had the option of ordering an 80MB drive, but would be forced to wait about 6 weeks more (so they said). I don't know any more about the 80MB - didn't pursue it. --kyler
jws@hpfcso.HP.COM (John Schmidt) (10/16/90)
I looked at the 316 and 320 last weekend in Denver at Soft Warehouse -- I really liked the machines overall, but the display seemed splotchy and seemed to "shimmer" on some graphics displays. It also seemed to show "shadows" -- a dark square on the screen had a lighter "shadow" extending up to the top of screen. Both machines showed these problems. Any disproving/corraborating evidence from the rest of the world on this? The overall features and price are great, and the power supply is auto-switching for 120/220 volts -- a nice bonus.