[comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware] Update on Micro Gen. 486 Machine

ries@venice.SEDD.TRW.COM (Marc Ries) (04/08/91)

  My query about Micro Generation of New Jersey machines basically
  went unanswered, so I went and purchased one of their 486-33
  towers. I still have three weeks left on my 30-day "money-back"
  trial.  Their tech support is, shall we say, limited...  The
  V-P in their Tustin, CA office is one of the few that seems to
  know what is going on.  In either case, they seem to be more than
  willing to take the machine back within the 30-day trial if you
  don't like the system.  

  Some info:
 
  The newest MG 486-33 mother boards is a taiwan ETEQ(sp?).  It's
  a true 33Mhz with 64K cache (256K optional). Max memory on board
  is 32Mb (8 simm slots x 4Mb simms) plus a 32-bit memory card with
  a max of 32Mb (or 64Mb total).  The Bios is "Mr. Bios" by Microid.
  "Chips/Neat" is also used.  What ever the case, it is fast, probably
  more limited by the IDE drives than any other component.

  I ran the "Computer Shopper Clone Checker" program and it passed... 8-)
  I have had some problems; some mine, some who knows...

  * Dr. Dos 5.0 is even less friendly on this machine than my ALR.
  I would get get mysterious "bios checksum error - system halted"
  when doing keyboard resets.  The problem seemed to be linked to
  using the Stevie VI clone program.  I have since gotten rid of 
  Dr. Dos and loaded MS DOS 4.01 and stevie works fine. On the other
  hand, this machines seems to work better with 4.01 and windows 3.0
  then the ALR with Dr. Dos and windows.  Seemingly less UAEs.

  * The machine also doesn't like the combination of Super PC-Kwik
  and my older ATI Wonder SVGA card.  If the complete PCKWIK package
  was loaded via the autoexec file, the machine would usually freeze
  up.  The problem seemed to be in the screen accellerator module.
  I've replaced the ATI Wonder with a Wonder+ and the problem
  has gone away.  PCKWIK and the old card still work fine on the ALR.
  
  Right now the current configuration seems stable.  Two IDE drives
  (200 + 80), an ATI Wonder+, and a Scanman Plus, MS Dos 4.01 and
  Windows 3.0.  

  Marc Ries