raymond@math.berkeley.edu (Raymond Chen) (03/24/91)
The `products' file is one year old. For those who don't know, the file is a quick index to every interesting hardware recommendation posted to comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware and related newsgroups since roughly one year ago today. Comments about Gateway easily lead the list, with PC Brand a far second. +------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Last update: 23-Mar-1991 | | This file is very terse. | | File format is like this: | | S: Subject | Q: userid (name) date person who asked the questions | R: userid (name) [summary] date person who replied, with brief summary | >Other comments additional stuff | | Table of contents: | | Computer | AAT | ACMA | ALR | Advantage | Altec | Amstrad | Anderson | Apricot | Aroma | Austin | Belmont Computer Products | Black Ship | Bondwell laptops | BUS in New York City | CompuAdd | Compudyne | Computers First Choice | Computer Terminal International | Damark | DAK (BSR 386SX) | DataExpert | DTK | Elonex 386 | EPS | Ergo, "The Brick" | Excell | Express Micro Mart | FastMicro | Fresh Data | Gateway 2000 | HD Computers, Santa Clara, CA | Homesmart Computing | Hornet 386 | Hyundai 386C | IBM Convertible | Insight | Jade | JCC | Jeppsen | KLH | Leading Edge PC | Magnavox | Micro Express | Micro Generation | Microlab | Microtime | Microway | Mitsubishi | NEC | Northgate | 486 i25 | Octagon | ONYX (Cleveland) | Packard-Bell | PC Brand | Positive | Premier | Q-Tek | Swan | Tangent | Techcom Labs | TENEX | Top Gun | Touche | Tredex | Trend Systems | Tri-Star | Tri-State in New York | USA-Flex | Zenith Minisport HD | Zenith Turbosport 386 | Zeos | choosing a laptop/portable | general | laptop | Excelan Exos 205 Ethernet card | Fax board | Floppy disks, MEI | Hard disk card | Hard disk cards for PS/2 30-286 | Hard disk controller, Perstor vs WD1006 RLL | Hard disk controller, two in one machine | Hard disk controllers, which work with what drives? | Hard disk, Conner | Hard disk/floppy disk RLL 1:1 16-bit controller | Hard disk, SyQuest 44MB removable | Hard disk, general | Hard drives in old PCs | Mail order companies, PC Connection | Mail-order discount houses for 386s (general comments) | Monitor | Dell | EGA | Gateway VGA | Goldstar | Mag Computronic VGA Monitor | Mitsubishi DiamondScan | Multisync | NANAO FlexScan 9070U | NEC | Paradise | Princeton | Seiko 1450 | VGA | Zenith Z-1492 FTM | Motherboard, 286 | Motherboard, 386 | Motherboard, 386 or 386SX, with 287 coprocessor socket | Motherboard, 386SX | Motherboard, 386 | AMI | DTK | EVEREX Revision E | Intel 386/PC Inboard | Fujikama | Jameco | Motherboard, 486 | Motherboard, 486 EISA | Motherboard, Mylex vs Micronics | SCSI board for PS2 MOD 80-071 | SCSI controller IN2000 by Always Inc | Santa Clara diskless workstations | Scanners/OCR | Sequa Chameleon PC | Sony 1304HG | Sony CPD-1304 | Sota 286i and 386i Accelerator Cards for PCs | Sound boards | Tape backup | Tandy 4016SX | Trackball | Trackball, Logitech Trackman | VGA & Composite Video in one monitor | VGA Wonder Card (ATI), hooking up to BNC high res color monitor | VGA card, 1024x748 non-interlaced | VGA card, ATI VGA Wonder | VGA card, Genoa | VGA card, Suntek | VGA card, general | i860 and i960 board for AT-bus +------------------------------------------------------------------------------ S: Computer, AAT Q: fontana@linc.cis.upenn.edu (Josep M. Fontana) 10 Sep 90 S: Computer, ACMA Q: att!oktnnsa!luis (Luis F. Albisu) 4 Apr 90 S: Computer, ALR Q: talvola@janus.Berkeley.EDU (Erik Talvola) 18 Jun 90 Q: pgeltner@smcnet.smc.edu (Peter Geltner) 27 Jul 90 > [ has 16 ALR 386SX's that have a 25% failure rate, and warranty turnaround > is "horrendous".] S: Computer, Advantage Q: paljug@grip.cis.upenn (Eric Paljug) 28 Aug 90 S: Computer, Altec Q: feg@clyde.ATT.COM (Forrest Gehrke) 3 Apr 90 Q: barkdoll@cattell.psych.upenn.edu (Edwin Barkdoll) 10 May 90 R: im@lectroid.sw.stratus.com (Su Im) 6 Aug 90 >The system looks great, works great, and I'm very happy with it so far. S: Computer, Amstrad R: jagrogan@vax1.tcd.ie (John Grogan) 3 Jul 90 >STOP, think first!! I'm working for a company who used to deal >a lot with Amstrads. We were experiencing a 200% failure rate (on average). >No matter how good a deal you are getting it is not worth it. The problems >are usually not simple, and often require spare parts or a new unit - both >of which are difficult to get from Amstrad. R: motcid!smithju@chg.mcd.mot.com (Justin A. Smith) 3 Jul 90 >[re their 8086 machines] Overall i think they were reasonably good value. R: jdudeck@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (John R. Dudeck) 3 Jul 90 >In Europe & the U.K. they provide the most performance for the money, but >that is because all the other clones are outrageously expensive. In general >the Amstrads are not completely compatible with "standard" PC clones, >because there were design tradeoffs made to cut manufacturing costs. >However, my impression is that any incompatibilities are in the >areas that are very obscure and not used by 99+ percent of all software. > >My recommendation: If you find a bargain-basement price on an Amstrad, >if you don't require mechanical robustness, and if you are willing to take >a chance on hardware compatibility, then go ahead. R: ma87rcs@cct.brunel.ac.uk (Liz Kimber) 4 Jul 90 >From my own experience (I have always had AMSTRADS) they are very good. R: alun@ibmpcug.co.uk (Alun Jenkins) 6 Jul 90 >Don't don't don't don't buy Amstrad. I used to work for an Amstrad super >dealer we used to do repairs etc. Just try getting parts. They don't come, >they send the wrong thing, we even received a board with chips missing. >Get real; just say no to Amstrad! R: emmo@moncam.co.uk (Dave Emmerson) 7 Jul 90 >If you GAVE me one, I wouldn't even unpack it! R: clear@bearcave.actrix.co.nz (Charlie Lear) 3 Jul 90 >They are very good machines with a high level of standard hardware. R: ss2@beach.cis.ufl.edu (Shyam Subramanyan) [summary] 9 Jul 90 Q: steveo@world.std.com (Steven W Orr) 22 Sep 90 Q: hotz@isi.edu (Steve Hotz) 9 Oct 90 Q: howard@lysator.liu.se (MindWalker) [PPC2640] 18 Oct 90 Q: powsner@csb1.nlm.nih.gov (Seth M Powsner) [laptop] 23 Oct 90 Q: AMARTINE@ESOC.BITNET (Antonio Martinez) 17 Jan 91 S: Computer, Anderson Q: gc1m+@andrew.cmu.edu (Geoffrey I. Cox) 31 Oct 90 S: Computer, Apricot R: dan@blender.uucp (Dan Keizer) 6 Oct 90 >I've used the Xi and the Qi's and they work fine S: Computer, ARC Q: logan@neuro.usc.edu (Christy Logan) 15 Mar 91 S: Computer, Aroma Q: saify@cbnewsl.att.com (saify.lanewala) 28 Nov 90 S: Computer, Austin Q: ames!pacbell!sactoh0!mholtz (Mark A. Holtz) 2 Apr 90 Q: jolly@ferrari.ece.cmu.edu (John Lee) 28 Jun 90 R: kens@hplsla.HP.COM (Ken Snyder) 29 Jun 90 >About a year and a half ago I had a horrible experience. Q: BREESE-D@osu-20.ircc.ohio-state.edu (mr whoopie) 2 Aug 90 R: readdm@walt.cc.utexas.edu (David M. Read) 2 Aug 90 >I've heard bad things about Austin computers from people who work in sales >or design teams in other Austin, TX computer manufacturers. The bad things >include (but are not necessarily limited to): >- extraordinairly unreliable service/support. >- 25Mhz and 33Mhz motherboards have problems with the non-CPU support chips >- The machines are only FCC Class-A certified, so they emit an ungodly > amount of RF interference. Rumor has it that the FCC is going to fine > Austin for selling Class-A devices for home use. R: skh00983@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Steve Holzgraefe) 2 Aug 90 >I wouldn't wish the service I received from Austin on ANYBODY. > ... It was a hellish nightmare. R: jolly@ferrari.ece.cmu.edu (John Lee) 4 Aug 90 >I've not had any problems [with 386SX "Winstation"] S: Computer, Belmont Computer Products Q: meric@portia.Stanford.EDU (meric ozcan) 14 Feb 91 S: Computer, Black Ship Q: cracraft@wheaties.ai.mit.edu (Stuart Cracraft) 23 Mar 90 Q: MJB@cup.portal.com (Martin J Brown-Jr) [386/25] 20 Jun 90 S: Computer, Bondwell laptops Q: uhr@thor.cs.wisc.edu (Leonard Uhr) 6 Apr 90 Q: lenhert@eecea.eece.ksu.edu (Donald Lenhert) 14 May 90 Q: caram@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (R. Caram) 11 Sep 90 R: lowery@se-sd.SanDiego.NCR.COM (Tim Lowery) 14 Sep 90 >In a PC Magazine review of a number of laptops which appeared early last year >sometime, the reviewer had one word for Bondwell laptops: "LANDFILL". I've >never owned one (and based on this review, I probably never will). Q: medin@cod.NOSC.MIL (Ted Medin) 26 Oct 90 R: marshall@wind55.seri.gov (Marshall L. Buhl) 29 Oct 90 >This machine is only for those who absolutely must compute on the road. >DO NOT BUY THIS FOR A DESKTOP PC! >Other than the terrible screen, it seemed to work OK. S: Computer, BUS in New York City R: v087mxgb@ubvmsa.cc.buffalo.edu (Shawn E Thompson) 23 Oct 90 >I BEG and PLEAD everyone to NOT buy from [them]. S: Computer, CompuAdd Q: ames!pacbell!sactoh0!mholtz (Mark A. Holtz) 2 Apr 90 R: jfm@cs.odu.edu (John F. Mclaurin) 8 Apr 90 >I would only recommend a Compuadd 316s if you are a business user and >are within 5 minutes of a Super-Store. Q: lai@cs.arizona.edu (C. Patrick Lai) [316SX] 31 May 90 R: reyn@trsvax.UUCP [316SX, positive] 5 Jun 90 R: russell@ALF.UNOMAHA.EDU ("Tim Russell") [316SX, positive] 10 Jun 90 Q: andyc@sunra.Eng.Sun.COM (Andy Charnas) [12MHz 286] 16 Jun 90 R: rwp@cup.portal.com (Roger William Preisendefer) 21 Jun 90 >My company just bought 15 Compuadd computers recently ... >They seem pretty decent. R: texsun!texbell!merch!cpe!hal6000!trsvax!reyn (John Reynolds) [316S] Jun 90 >I have had no complaints. ... Highly recommended. R: petrilli@walt.cc.utexas.edu (Chris Petrilli) 21 Jun 90 >If you get a system that works, no problem, it's as reliable as anything >else. However, there seems to be a large fraction that don't work (my >estimates are around 20%). Q: tierney@belegost.endor.cs.psu.edu (Michael B. Tierney) 26 Nov 90 Q: CTB103@psuvm.psu.edu (Chad Burkins) 28 Jan 91 S: Computers, Compudyne Q: winston@fjc.GOV (Winston M. Llamas) 17 Feb 91 Q: TJROB@IHLPL.ATT.COM (thomas.j.roberts) 22 Feb 91 Q: TJROB@IHLPL.ATT.COM (thomas.j.roberts) 8 Mar 91 S: Computer, Computers First Choice Q: ff76@vaxb.acs.unt.edu (Jhinuk Chowdhury) 13 Dec 90 S: Computer, Computer Terminal International Q: mpatel@enprt.Wichita.NCR.COM (Madhu Patel) 2 May 90 S: Computer, Damark International Inc. R: stanley@phoenix.com (John Stanley) 15 Dec 90 >[They lied to him.] I do not do business with Damark. S: Computer, DAK (BSR 386SX) Q: scott@hpcvca.CV.HP.COM (Scott Linn) 14 Aug 90 Q: harvey@hsomai.enet.dec.com (Sherwin L. Harvey) 2 Sep 90 Q: stevenz@unrvax.unr.edu (Steven Zink) 3 Oct 90 R: ergo@netcom.uucp (Isaac Rabinovitch) 13 Oct 90 >DAK is nice people [but] it's obvious that they're out of >their depth selling computers. R: bicker@hoqaz.att.com (Brian Kohn) 14 Oct 90 >In a word: Yuck. R: woan@iti.org (Ronald S. Woan Jr.) 15 Oct 90 >My office mates brother ... is very pleased with it. Q: BJ020000@NDSUVM1.BITNET (Dave Mueller) 20 Nov 90 Q: jwste@PacBell.COM (Jerry Steffler) 21 Nov 90 R: 55srwlgs@sacemnet.af.mil (Frank Starr) [summary] 14 Dec 90 >85% positive response. Many felt that the equipment was discontinued >merchandise or remarketing of very offbrand equipment, but there was general >satisfaction anyway. Beware of the hype in the advertisements. >Most feeling of dissatisfaction are of the form "buyer beware". >Although all buyers of the 386 equipment were especially satisfied, >one equipment reseller noted that DAK sold a discontinued ZENITH micro >for more than ZENITH itself was selling it for, and at the same time. > >Even satisfied customers noted that delivery, at least of PCs, >took from 7 weeks average to 3 months for the new 386. >Telephone support is available, but it is hard to get through. Q: gary@ellis.uchicago.edu (gary buchholz) 11 Mar 91 R: timbuk!cb (Chris Brewster) 12 Mar 91 >Over-all it looks like a good deal, especially when the software is thrown in. S: Computer, DataExpert R: jjohnson@peyote.cactus.org (Jeff Johnson) 28 Jan 91 >I have had absolutely no problems. DataExpert Corp., 2065 Martin Ave. >Suite 103, Santa Clara, CA 95050, (800) DATA-EXP S: Computer, DTK Q: besner@watserv1.waterloo.edu (lc) 8 May 90 Q: nrd@cray.com (Neal Dalton) 11 May 90 Q: jsavage@van-bc.wimsey.bc.ca (Julian Savage) 18 Nov 90 Q: laughner@composer.helios.nd.edu (Tom Laughner) 8 Mar 91 R: Frank_Murray@mindlink.UUCP (Frank Murray) 9 Mar 91 >I have been using a DTK Keen 2000 (386DX, 20 MHz) for over one year with no >problems. R: u9hx@vax5.cit.cornell.edu 12 Mar 91 >I own a DTK Keen 33mhz 386. [no details supplied] R: david@kessner.denver.co.us (David Kessner) 12 Mar 91 >I like DTK very much-- but I have been into computers long enough to >decipher their badly translated manuals. S: Elonex 386 R: jagrogan@vax1.tcd.ie (John Grogan) [positive] 23 Oct 90 S: Computer, EPS Q: fad3@cbnewsj.att.com (frank.decosta) [EPS 386-33] 27 Jun 90 Q: akcs.gregc@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Greg) [EPI 25 mhz] 17 Jul 90 Q: smsmith@hpuxa.ircc.ohio-state.edu (Stephen M. Smith) 11 Oct 90 R: lasky@iris.ucdavis.EDU (Ty Lasky) 11 Oct 90 >a very good mail order company. ... also has really good service. R: Rick.Holzer@FtCollins.NCR.com (Rick.Holzer) 15 Oct 90 >So far, I am very pleased. >Feel free to request any specifics by e-mail. R: Rick.Holzer@FtCollins.NCR.com (Rick.Holzer) [386/25 positive] 19 Oct 90 Q: 6500boo@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu (William Bushing) 26 Oct 90 R: nan@phobos.cis.ksu.edu (Nan Zou) [purchased] Q: dono@pro-graphics.cts.com (Don Oshman) 20 Nov 90 Q: john@xwkg.Icom.Com (John T. Marrinson) [386SX] 10 Dec 90 R: gkj@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Gregory K Johnson) 15 Dec 90 >I highly recommend EPS. R: scotte@applix.com (Scott Evernden) 28 Dec 90 >EPS Technologies screwed me over. [story of how they kept changing their >story each time he called them] I would recommend you avoid EPS unless you >could care less when/if you receive your equipment, and if you won't be >relying on their technical support. R: nan@math.ksu.edu (Nan Zou) 30 Dec 90 >They do tend to promise deliver date a little too early. R: akcs.gregc@vpnet.chi.il.us (Greg) 5 Mar 91 >Recently EPS degraded themselves by putting in Maxtor Hard Drives and using >cheaper monitors. They are still a pretty good company. >Do some research on them before you buy. S: Computer, Ergo, "The Brick" Q: buchholz@carina.tuc.noao.edu (Nick Buchholz) 10 Sep 90 S: Computer, Excell Q: bhughes@secola.Columbia.NCR.COM (Bill Hughes) 6 Jun 90 S: Computer, Express Micro Mart R: draper@buster.cps.msu.edu (Patrick J Draper) 15 Oct 90 >[West Bloomfield MI] ... not the place you want to buy a computer. S: Computer, FastMicro Q: johnob@tekigm2.MEN.TEK.COM (John J Obendorfer) 8 May 90 Q: rochester!rit!cci632!sjo (Steve Owens) 16 Aug 90 Q: bchen@wpi.WPI.EDU (Bi Chen) 19 Dec 90 S: Computer, Fresh Data Q: ucoerp@swuts.swbt.com (Robert B. Paster) 29 Mar 90 R: gatech!stiatl!mnopltd!neal 30 Mar 90 >You can call the Atlanta Better Business Bureau at 404-688-4910 >There are three different addresses with that name, none of which >have contacted the BBB. S: Computer, Gateway 2000 Q: simmonds@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Ed Simmonds) 22 Apr 90 Q: EMH101@psuvm.psu.edu (Ed Hankinson) 2 Apr 90 Q: andyb@locus.com (Andy Brager) 3 Apr 90 Q: passt1@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Philip A. Sircely) 9 May 90 >Call them at 800-523-2000 or 1-605-232-2000 R: ins_arm@jhuvms.bitnet (Roslan MdZaki) 30 Mar 90 R: webb@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu (Thomas Webb) [negative] 10 Apr 90 R: MHS108@psuvm.psu.edu (Mark Solsman) 9 Apr 90 >There [sic] salespeople are fantastic! R: gerry@cive.ri.cmu.edu (Gerry Roston) [positive] 11 Apr 90 R: GOLDSTN@MAINE.BITNET (Michael E. Goldstein) 7 Apr 90 R: yjkim@milton.acs.washington.edu (Yong Kim) 7 Apr 90 >Their salespeople don't seem to be great, but their computers are good. R: keegan-edward@cs.yale.edu (Edward Keegan) 9 May 90 >PC Resource magazine rates the Gateway as a best buy in the May 1990 issue. R: ucoerp@swuts.swbt.com (Robert B. Paster) [uneventful story] 25 May 90 R: cohend@dg-rtp.dg.com [positive] (Dave Cohen) 31 May 90 R: landry@csgrad.cs.vt.edu (Kenneth Landry) [recently purchased] 20 Jun 90 Q: jbjones@marlin.NOSC.MIL (John B. Jones) 26 Jun 90 Q: fad3@cbnewsj.att.com (frank.decosta) 27 Jun 90 R: kens@hplsla.HP.COM (Ken Snyder) 27 Jun 90 >about a gazillion people have bought Gateways and 99.9153% of them are >happy customers. I am included in this group. R: ucoerp@swuts.swbt.com (Robert B. Paster) [highly recommend] 28 Jun 90 R: kens@hplsla.HP.COM (Ken Snyder) [very happy] 29 Jun 90 R: torkil@psivax.UUCP (Torkil Hammer) 20 Jul 90 >It is great. Telephone service is difficult to get, like with all mail >order places. R: verket@venice.SEDD.TRW.COM (Paul Verket) 24 Jul 90 >We bought a 33MHz 386 ... and it has worked very well. My only complaints >were a case that was sloppily put together and an off brand of hard disk. R: fs@uwasa.fi (Filip Sawicki) [summary] 24 Jul 90 >In all of [the replies] opinions were absolutely positive. >[Though a common complaint was that some troubleshooting was necessary, > but technical support was very helpful.] R: jsims@vuse.vanderbilt.edu (J. Robert Sims) R: Edward_Engler@transarc.com R: goldston@med.unc.edu (David Goldston) R: hargrove@cbnewsj.att.com R: RPI360@MAINE.BITNET Q: dwc@cbnewsh.att.com (Mordecai the Fowl) 16 Aug 90 Q: ibanez@linc.cis.upenn.edu (Maria Ibanez) 10 Jul 90 R: fad3@cbnewsj.att.com (frank.decosta) [summary] 11 Jul 90 Q: pokey@uncmed.med.unc.edu (Patrick O'Brien) 10 Oct 90 R: kens@hplsla.HP.COM (Ken Snyder) 16 Oct 90 >Gateway is THE most customer oriented mail order company I've ever >dealt with. They have bent over backwards >and done things for me that I consider to be above and beyond the call. R: eakin@rsmas.miami.edu (C. Mark Eakin) [positive] 17 Oct 90 R: mahler@rouge.usl.edu (Mahler Stephen J) [positive] 17 Oct 90 R: djbpitt@unix.cis.pitt.edu (David J Birnbaum) [positive] 17 Oct 90 R: gould@pilot.njin.net (Brian Jay Gould) [positive] 19 Oct 90 >Very few problems. Tech support is above average. R: pokey@uncmed.med.unc.edu (Patrick O'Brien) [summary] 19 Oct 90 Q: johnb@yang.earlham.edu (John Benjamin) 25 Oct 90 Q: 6500boo@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu (William Bushing) 26 Oct 90 Q: brian@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Brian Hoffman) 5 Nov 90 R: lee@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu (Greg Lee) 6 Nov 90 >Aside from the fact that it is not working right now, I have some minor >reservations about the system. R: dve@mace.cc.purdue.edu 7 Nov 90 >I'm having very bad luck with Gateway 2000. R: bicker@cbnewsi.att.com (Brian Kohn) 7 Nov 90 >Most of the comments, including my own, have been overwhelmingly positive. R: brian@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Brian Hoffman) 7 Nov 90 >I received about 20 responses from satisfied Gateway 2000 customers and >only one are two negative reviews. R: ESR@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU (Ed Russell) 7 Nov 90 >September 25 issue of PC Magazine [contains a survey of Gateway owners] S: Re: Gateway 2000 [another positive vote] Q: stevesa@microsoft.UUCP (Steve SALISBURY) 8 Nov 90 R: rmf@bpdsun1.uucp (Rob Finley) 9 Nov 90 >I recommend them. The other's aren't necessarily worth the extra cost. R: draper@buster.cps.msu.edu (Patrick J Draper) >[a friend] Gateway Fed Ex'd a new monitor the next morning at their cost. >He didn't even have to return the defective monitor first. Q: dono@pro-graphics.cts.com (Don Oshman) 20 Nov 90 R: tdtyl@hubcap.clemson.edu (theodore d taylor) 11 Dec 90 >I am quite impressed with one exception: >Occasionally I get a HDD failure on startup. >Technical support is great, though it may take some time to get through. R: afzal@cui.unige.ch (Afzal Ballim) 12 Dec 90 >I think the Gateway is a great machine, and would thorougly >recommend it to anyone. R: tedyoung@panix.uucp (Ted Young) 15 Dec 90 >Although they advertise on-site repair along with overnite >replacement parts, they neglect to say that it can take 4 days for it to >get out the door! >you can bet Gateway2000 won't be getting my recommendation. R: clong@remus.rutgers.edu (Chris Long) 16 Dec 90 >I've had absolutely no problems with them, and ditto for most of the >people I've talked to. Q: csran@warwick.ac.uk (Mr S J Russell) 28 Nov 90 Q: scalawag@blake.u.washington.edu (Keith Frederick) 1 Dec 90 Q: arussell@OAVAX.CSUCHICO.EDU (Anne Russell) 6 Dec 90 R: joec@Morgan.COM (Joe Collins) [posted a summary] 8 Jan 91 R: ekman@wdl1.wdl.loral.com (Donald Ekman) >I would certainly buy again from them. R: uunet!hub.ucsb.edu!6500boo%ucsbuxa (William Bushing) >Based on what I've seen and heard, I don't think you can go wrong with Gateway. R: uunet!waii.COM!rob (Rob Freyder) >A Great Machine. Go for it. R: uunet!iti.org!john (John Sauter) >I am really pleased with the product and the prices. R: uunet!bighorn.uswest.com!rml (Robert Lund) >I have been very satisfied with their system and service. Q: arc@cis.ufl.edu (Anthony Cherry) 18 Jan 91 Q: CTB103@psuvm.psu.edu (Chad Burkins) 28 Jan 91 R: joec@Morgan.COM (Joe Collins) 28 Jan 91 >So far I am quite happy. R: arc@reef.cis.ufl.edu (Anthony Cherry) [summary posted] 5 Feb 91 >I'll be glad to offer further help if anyone needs it, just mail me R: jin@spdcc.COM (Jerry Natowitz) 6 Feb 91 >I love it. I feel that Gateway gives you about the best bang for the buck. >Though I feel they are getting sloppy. I did not receive all the manuals, etc. Q: kholland@hydra.unm.edu (Kiernan Holland) 11 Feb 91 R: neil@ms.uky.edu (Neil Greene) 24 Feb 91 >I have contacted this company several times, concerning parts, and each time, >new parts have arrived over night. Q: casey@gauss.llnl.gov (Casey Leedom) 2 Mar 91 R: kaufman@eecs.nwu.edu (Michael Kaufman) 3 Mar 91 >Almost everyone (~20 people) I know that has purchased a Gateway computer >has been sorry in the long run. I would strongly advise against Gateway. R: 6500boo%ucsbuxa@hub.ucsb.edu (William Bushing) 3 Mar 91 >I'm not in the least bit disappointed. R: philhowr@unix.cie.rpi.edu (Bob Philhower) 3 Mar 91 >I have mixed feelings. Their tech support lines are always busy; once you >get through, they are helpful and send out replacement parts before you send >back the old one. R: labraham@eniac.seas.upenn.edu (Lisbi Abraham) 3 Mar 91 >I bought a Gateway 386sx and I love it. I've gotten great service from them. >The only problem is that when you call for service, you end up waiting a lot. R: pbanerji@libserv1.ic.sunysb.edu (Pratip K Banerji) 4 Mar 91 >I haven't had a problem with them. Great machines, a wonderful repair policy, >and great customer support. Q: jdb@reef.cis.ufl.edu (Brian K. W. Hook) [286-12] 4 Mar 91 R: psm@manta.nosc.mil (Scot Mcintosh) 4 Mar 91 >I bought one of their 486/25 systems and consider it to be a phenomenal deal. R: bollard@hpspkla.spk.hp.com (Lee M. Bollard) 4 Mar 91 >Gateway is a good company with a good product. The only problem is >getting ahold of tech support. They normally have to call you back >(which they DO). They are very helpful and federal express the parts if >replacements are needed. R: smsmith@hpuxa.acs.ohio-state.edu (Stephen M. Smith) 4 Mar 91 >You can't go wrong with Gateway. R: wjyoung@vela.acs.oakland.edu (Bill Young) 4 Mar 91 >I have had no problems at all. They are a very good company. R: OOGLA@VAX1.Mankato.MSUS.EDU 5 Mar 91 >They have lifetime toll-free tech support (it does get busy sometimes, taking >as long as 20mins, but they will call you back if you don't want to wait). >And if anything breaks on your system, they will send you a replacement >NEXT DAY AIR with only a credit card number (in case you don't mail the >defective part back to them). R: horstman@mathcs.sjsu.edu (Cay Horstmann) 8 Mar 91 >I have had some pretty depressing problems with my Gateway 2000 system. >The motherboard and the tape drive both broke, 6 months or so after the >warranty expired. They weren't helpful, and it was an expensive mess to >fix. There were a number of other problems with the machine too. R: jc58+@andrew.cmu.edu (Johnny J. Chin) 9 Mar 91 >DO NOT BUY THEM! ... I have heard from too many people that they are CHEAP, >in price as well as quality. Many of them had problems with right out of the >box. My friends, said that they will never buy one from them again. R: wk0x+@andrew.cmu.edu (William Stephen Kish) 9 Mar 91 >I have a Gateway 2000 i486. The only problem was solved via FedEx. >Their service is outstanding. I have never had ANY compatibility problems. >I use DOS, Windows, and Mach. I recommend Gateway 2000 without hesitation. R: v053qgzj@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (David M Snyderman) 10 Mar 91 >The quality for the buck is unmatched, but tech support is tremendously >overloaded. Buy them if you don't expect to need a lot of tech service. >All of the components seem to be of high quality. R: gcook@horus.cem.msu.EDU (Greg Cook) 10 Mar 91 >My Gateway has been up and running for two years without a hitch. R: klf1305@chensun1.tamu.edu (Kelly L. Fergason) 10 Mar 91 >I am in a classroom with 19 Gateway 2000 386-20's. Except for one thing, >I believe we got a very good deal. (Faulty hard drive.) R: am42+@andrew.cmu.edu (Alexander Paul Morris) 10 Mar 91 >Most people I know (and myself) have been very pleased with Gateway. >A shipping error was corrected via FedEx. R: neil@ms.uky.edu (Neil Greene) 10 Mar 91 >I am pleased with Gateways service and machines. R: horstman@mathcs.sjsu.edu (Cay Horstmann) 10 Mar 91 >The consensus seems to be that Gateway has been cutting a lot of corners, >cheap parts, less than professional assembly... R: bicker@cbnewsi.att.com 11 Mar 91 >It has performed flawlessly, except under Windows, when it hangs >sporadically while running my BBS. But that might be my BBS' fault. R: eda@persoft.com (Ed Almasy) 12 Mar 91 >Of the seven friends that have Gateway 2000 computers, >NONE of them have had ANY problems. R: horstman@mathcs.sjsu.edu (Cay Horstmann) 14 Mar 91 >Count mine against as well. Some of us Gateway users had grief, in my case >expensive grief. Once the warranty is over, there is little Gateway will do. >When something fails [after one year], that is your problem, not theirs. >In all fairness, that is typical in the business. R: casey@gauss.llnl.gov (Casey Leedom) [summary posted] 14 Mar 91 R: bobf@intermec.UUCP (Bob Folline) 14 Mar 91 >They guarantee that if for any reason you are dissatisfied within 30 days >of purchase you can return the unit for a full refund. The only thing it >will cost you is the shipping. R: mmshah@athena.mit.edu (Milan M Shah) 15 Mar 91 >I had a sour experience with Gateway myself, way back in summer 1988. >I told the tech I was fed up. They refunded my money with no trouble, but it >did cost me shipping. >My opinion of Gateway: They are a screwdriver technology company, and I >believe they change their vendors more often than their proverbial underwear. >However, their honesty and their understanding that to stay in business they >must make sure that customers are satisfied and must not, under any >circumstances, be antagonized, has gone quite a long ways to build a >reputation. >So, if you buy from them, you will probably end up with a 'cheap' machine, >but chances are very high that you will not get burnt, money wise. R: stephenc@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Stephen Chung) 16 Mar 91 >I have a Gateway 25MHz 386 and there is *ABSOLUTELY NOTHING* that I >am not satisfied with. It did not give me any problems at all. R: kodiak@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (Bryan Nehl) 16 Mar 91 >We have 4 386 gateways at our site. The two that are older >386-20's we have had lots of problems with. Basically *everthing* has >been replaced in these machines at least once. But the two new ones that >are 386-25's have been running perfectly with no problems at all. From >looking at them I think the new machines are a lot nicer quality machine. S: Computer, HD Computers, Santa Clara, CA Q: hand@b11.ingr.com (Ed Hand) 3 Dec 90 R: albert@harvard.edu (David Albert) 26 Jan 91 >I'm very pleased. >Their technical service has been prompt, knowledgeable, >and helpful each time I've called for advice or information. (The >company is run by people with asian accents. Minor language problems >with English did not keep any of their technicians from providing >better help than most tech support lines I've called.) >I really do recommend HD Computers. Q: c15102151@uavax0.ccit.arizona.edu (Adam Cable) 5 Feb 91 S: Computer, Homesmart Computing R: markg@cbnewsk.ATT.COM (mark.r.gibaldi) [positive] 3 May 90 S: Computer, Hornet 386 Q: rutgers!soleil!gendel (Gary Gendel) 5 Mar 90 S: Computer, Hyundai 386C Q: qiming@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu (Qiming Huang) 17 Mar 90 R: NETOPRWA@ncsuvm.ncsu.edu (Wayne Aiken) [very strongly negative] 20 Jul 90 >FORGET HYUNDAI! At one time, my company bought several ... we will never >do business with them again. Even if you are lucky enough to ever get a >computer back from being serviced, chances are good that it still won't work. >Hyundai is definitely one to avoid like the plague. R: pbaker@athena.mit.edu (Patrick T Baker) Q: chada@cpsin1.cps.msu.edu (Satyanarayan Chada) 12 Aug 90 Q: kumorek@apollo.HP.COM (James Kumorek) 26 Jan 91 R: n8541751@unicorn.cc.wwu.edu (Kris Bruland) 27 Jan 91 >I bought one a while ago, and liked it so well that I recently got a >second. They are really good, and inexpensive too. R: amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Allen J Michielsen) 27 Jan 91 >For all my 286, 386, 386sx needs, hyundai's are my first choice. S: Computer, IBM Convertible Q: williams@cs.umass.edu (Leo Pinard) 25 Mar 90 S: Computer, Insight Q: harvey@hsomai.enet.dec.com (Sherwin L. Harvey) 10 Sep 90 R: attmail!ticnj!hutch (Robert Hutchison) 10 Sep 90 >It seems to be very well built. Their response [to tech support] has >been good. Q: heibel@esseye.UUCP (Russ Heibel) 22 Oct 90 Q: faatzd@cs.rpi.edu (Don Faatz) 2 Nov 90 Q: baji@mozart.Berkeley.EDU (Balanjaninath Edupuganty) 14 Dec 90 Q: c15102151@uavax0.ccit.arizona.edu (Adam Cable) 5 Feb 91 Q: neeraj@axon.siemens.com.siemens.com (Neeraj Bhatnagar) Q: fmgst@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Filip Gieszczykiewicz) 8 Mar 91 S: Computer, Jade Q: pete@bally.Bally.COM (Pete "The Invisible Man" Gregory) 10 May 90 S: Computer, JCC Q: ftw33616@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Frank T. Wang) 30 Nov 90 S: Computer, Jeppsen Q: jackin@vehka.uta.fi (Markku M{enp{{) 8 May 90 S: Computer, KLH Q: cmm1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Christopher M Mauritz) 9 Oct 90 S: Computer, Leading Edge PC Q: pricked@vax1.acs.udel.EDU (Jenn-Ming Yang) 7 Mar 90 Q: ee52fdm@sdcc3.ucsd.edu (Marcel Carlsson) [laptop] 4 Nov 90 S: Computer, Magnavox R: oneel@heawk1.gsfc.nasa.gov (Bruce Oneel) 11 Feb 91 R: danr@ais.org (Daniel Romanchik) 18 Feb 91 >I like it. S: Computer, Micro Express Q: cbishop@zeus.dnet.ge.com (Chuck Bishop) 19 Jul 90 Q: dwc@cbnewsh.att.com (Mordecai the Fowl) 16 Aug 90 Q: davecarr@tove.cs.umd.edu (David Carr) 14 Oct 90 R: bicker@hoqaz.att.com (Brian Kohn) 14 Oct 90 >I couldn't get anyone there to talk to me about buying a system! R: mlaird@hubcap.clemson.edu (michael laird) 30 Oct 90 >[story about order being repeatedly delayed] R: cbishop@zeus.dnet.ge.com (Chuck Bishop) [386SX-16] 6 Nov 90 >even though it took me 9 weeks to get it, I am glad I ordered theirs. >One thing that they could have done better on was documentation. R: mlaird@hubcap.clemson.edu (Michael Laird) [long story] 27 Nov 90 R: bwb@sei.cmu.edu (Bruce Benson) 27 Nov 90 >There are too many good mail order houses to ever >consider them again (regardless of price).... R: sichermn@beach.csulb.edu (Jeff Sicherman) 27 Nov 90 >For what it's worth, their 20Mhz 386sx was an >Editor's Choice in PC Mag, Nov 27,1990 issue. S: Computer, Micro Generation Q: peck@ral.rpi.edu (Joseph Peck) 29 Jun 90 R: uunet!bnrgate!bmerh614!mlord (Mark Lord) 6 Jul 90 >Avoid them like the plague.. R: uunet!math.lsa.umich.edu!sharkey!msuinfo!cpsin3!draper (Patrick J Draper) 6 Jul 90 >I bought a 12Mhz AT from them a year ago, and I am very happy with it. Q: rose@malibu.sedd.trw.com 1 Aug 90 R: pritchet@susie.cs.scarolina.edu (Ronald W. Pritchett) 4 Oct 90 >I'd STRONGLY advise you not to order or even consider ordering from >Micro Generation Computers in NJ. S: Computer, Microlab Q: cg108fep@icogsci1.ucsd.edu (Dennis Lou) 7 May 90 R: herrj@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Jonathan R. Herr) [positive] 7 May 90 R: uunet!tronsbox!dsoft!bbs.whizzie (Mauro Quaglia) [positive] 9 May 90 R: m9tx@vax5.cit.cornell.edu (John Sequeira) 10 May 90 >MicroLab's support is terrible. Read their fine print - 're-stocking fee' >and 'prices quoted are for cash sales only'. R: alf@edstip.EDS.COM (John Hamill) [negative] 9 May 90 R: scherer@dtrc.dt.navy.mil (Doug Scherer) [negative] 16 May 90 Q: ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Nur Iskandar Taib) 23 Feb 91 S: Computer, Microtime R: marks@pwa-b.uucp (Evan R. Marks) > very good company with great prices. S: Computer, Microway FastCache-SX F: daft@crd.ge.com (Chris Daft) 17 Oct 90 S: Computer, Mitsubishi MP286L Q: gm17+@andrew.cmu.edu (Glenn C. Meter) 5 Jun 90 S: Computer, NEC R: t_hallam@fennel.cc.uwa.oz.au 13 Mar 91 >I suggest that you look somewhere else; save yourself a lot of time. S: Computer, Northgate Q: rao@ka.excelan.com (Viswanath Rao) [Slimline 386/20] 21 Mar 90 R: hollyr@brspyr1.BRS.Com (Holly Raab) [Slimline 386/20, has one] 23 Mar 90 Q: uunet!motcid!molesb (Bryan Moles) 10 Apr 90 R: jps@msc.umn.edu (Jeff P. Sorvik) [positive] 10 Apr 90 R: tmyers@athena.mit.edu (Tracy S Myers) [negative] 12 Apr 90 R: wang@m.cs.uiuc.edu (Eric Wang) [positive] 11 Apr 90 R: jsulliva@cvbnet.prime.com (Jeff Sullivan) [positive] 13 Apr 90 R: geiser@apollo.HP.COM (Wayne Geiser) [Elegance 386, positive] 13 Apr 90 >I'll be happy to answer any more specific questions you might have. R: iuvax!ndmath!nstar!larry (Larry Snyder) [somewhat negative] 22 Apr 90 R: wag1@cbnewsl.ATT.COM (d.wagley) [positive] 27 Apr 90 R: tmyers@athena.mit.edu (Tracy S Myers) [long story] 5 May 90 >Overall, I am satisfied with Northgate. R: cjp@beartrk.beartrack.com (CJ Pilzer) [486 i25] 24 Jun 90 >I like it very much. The company support has been excellent. Q: fritsch@picasso.cs.unc.edu (Dan Fritsch) 13 Dec 90 Q: alexw@cyclops.intel.com (Alex Witkowski) 19 Feb 91 R: dre@sequoia.cray.com (Dennis Ellis) 20 Feb 91 >I purchased a 33MHz 386 and am extremely happy with it. R: sasst11@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Scott A Snowiss) 20 Feb 91 >I had a problem with the hard drive and they FedEx'd a new one the next day. >The technical staff is very knowledgable. S: Computer, Octagon R: tlhilde@ecn.purdue.edu (Troy Hildebrand) 2 Nov 90 >I was happy with the price they gave me, but they did not do a very good >job putting it together. R: tlhilde@ecn.purdue.edu (Troy Hildebrand) 9 Nov 90 >I was relatively happy until I tried to contact my sales representative. >I am unable to contact anybody at "Octagon Technologies Inc" via their >800 number (1-800-726-1775) and have been unable to obtain a number for >them via directory assistance. S: Computer, ONYX (Cleveland) Q: nesmith@CTPS.TPS.CS.CMU.EDU (Daniel Nesmith) 13 Mar 91 S: Computer, Packard-Bell Q: joec@Morgan.COM (Joe Collins) 3 Mar 90 Q: scott@Futures.COM (Scott Boyd) 19 Jul 90 R: dlundste@ncube.com (Duane S. Lundsten) [very negative] 6 Sep 90 >[I will] NEVER buy another Packard Bell product. R: kevdavis@wpi.wpi.edu (Kevin S. Davis) [positive] 6 Sep 90 >I have called there technical service people and they have >been very helpful in figuring problems out. R: dmlkm@cbnewse.att.com (david.e.montalbano) 9 Sep 90 >[after some hassle, got everything resolved] >Now I sit here on my new AT&T 386SX/EL. I love it. Q: pilger@uhunix1.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Eric Pilger) 10 Sep 90 R: dlee@dtoa1.dt.navy.mil (Lee) [long, negative] 14 Sep 90 R: scott@Futures.COM (Scott Boyd) Q: marka@phi.UUCP (Mark Allen) 16 Nov 90 R: wilken@plains.NoDak.edu (Scott Wilken) 19 Nov 90 >Don't buy one of these at any costs. They are the computer from hell. R: stinson@tifsim.pac.ti.com (Jim Stinson) 21 Nov 90 >We have not had any problems at all in the 6 months we have had it. R: tbrown@lehi3b15.csee.Lehigh.EDU (Thomas Brown) 26 Nov 90 >despite the quality, I give Packard Bell an all-around thumbs down >[because support is poor] R: matth@progress.COM (Matthew J. Harper) 27 Nov 90 >I know four people with Packard Bell systems. None of them have >had a single bit of trouble with them. R: gedwards@ncratl.Atlanta.NCR.COM (Gordon Edwards) 25 Nov 90 >Five of us bought Packard Bell PB686 machines; one of them died after 10 >months of use. Other than that we have had no problems. Q: njarhe@ee.ualberta.ca (The Bill Man) 19 Feb 91 tjr@cbnewsc.att.com (thomas.j.roberts) 1 Mar 91 S: Computer, PC Brand Q: joec@Morgan.COM (Joe Collins) 16 Mar 90 R: fish@gemed.com (Mark Fisher) [negative] 1 Apr 90 R: nigel@nmtsun.nmt.edu (Nigel Sharples) [negative] 2 Apr 90 R: kt4@prism.gatech.EDU (Ken Thompson) [positive] 2 Apr 90 R: dorsai@pawl.rpi.edu (Gregory D. Moncreaff) [negative] 2 Apr 90 >unless you're feeling your luck is just about to turn or you have >a streak of masochism a mile wide you should seriously consider >dumping PC Brand and go with another 'reputable' mailorder such as Zeos R: sheinfel@eniac.seas.upenn.edu (Aviad Sheinfeld) [negative] 6 Apr 90 R: dorsai@pawl.rpi.edu (G. Donald Moncreaff) 6 Apr 90 >NEVER call customer service, use the tech line 1-800-541-TECH instead. >these people are much more knowlagable than the service people R: dsew@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (David R. Sewell) [negative] 7 Apr 90 R: eddjp@althea.UUCP (Dewey Paciaffi) [positive] 5 Apr 90 R: gregj@microsoft.UUCP (Greg JONES) 7 Apr 90 R: wordproc@ucf-cs.UCF.EDU (Marcus Clenney) [positive] 12 Apr 90 Q: jay@umd5.umd.edu (Jay Elvove) 21 May 90 Q: ylee@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Raymond Lee) 6 Jun 90 R: elh@caen.engin.umich.edu (Ed_Han) [negative] 10 Jun 90 R: rschmidt@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (roy schmidt) [20MHz 386, negative] 14 Jun 90 R: dag@persoft.com (Daniel A. Glasser) [negative story] 19 Jun 90 Q: bill@cbnewsl.att.com (william.clark) 3 Aug 90 Q: lasky@iris.Berkeley.EDU (Ty Lasky) 9 Aug 90 Q: david@wubios.wustl.edu (David J. Camp) 31 Oct 90 Q: jay@umd5.umd.edu (Jay Elvove) [33mhz 386] 19 Nov 90 R: david@wubios.wustl.edu (David J. Camp) [summary] 29 Dec 90 >The responses from people with experience with PC Brand computers were >mostly negative. If you want more information, write to me. Q: psm@manta.NOSC.MIL (Scot Mcintosh) 6 Dec 90 Q: kholland@hydra.unm.edu (Kiernan Holland) 11 Feb 91 R: ries@venice.SEDD.TRW.COM (Marc Ries) [summary] 14 Feb 91 >Conclusion: Machines are decent, service sucks S: Computer, Positive Q: spinrad@rigel.ucsb.edu (Sanford Spinrad) 24 Sep 90 Q: spinrad@spica.ucsb.edu (Sanford Spinrad) 28 Sep 90 Q: timg@timg.intel.com (Tim Gardner) 12 Nov 90 R: ESR@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU (Ed Russell) 28 Nov 90 >They are made by Eltech Research, based in Fremont, CA, in business since 1985. >The experience at SLAC, to my knowledge, has been fairly positive. >The guy across the hall had some sort of memory failure on one of his which >they took back for repairs right away. After a week or so, he asked what the >delay was. When the manager found out it hadn't been returned within a week >and no notice had been given of why, he apparently fired the technician. >It appears they are VERY anxious to provide good service. R: dtl@hpihoah.cup.hp.com (Dean Lindsay) 28 Nov 90 >I called their 800 number for support. It is always busy, but they take >voice mail and return the call the next day. >I am pleased with the system and would recommend it to others. Q: dlee@dtoa1.dt.navy.mil (Lee) 10 Jan 91 Q: frison@cs.arizona.edu (Glen Alexander Frison) [486] 13 Jan 91 R: ries@venice.SEDD.TRW.COM (Marc Ries) [486] 14 Jan 91 >reviewed in the L.A. Times Computer Column and got a good review. >drawbacks: few expansion slots, the "options" are way overprived. S: Computer, Premier Q: blair@entec.Wichita.NCR.COM (Brian Lair) 18 Jul 90 S: Computer, Q-Tek Q: scs2635@cec2.wustl.edu (Sean Cronin Starkey) 2 Apr 90 R: wang@m.cs.uiuc.edu (Eric Wang) [positive] 11 Apr 90 S: Computer, Swan Q: ames!pacbell!sactoh0!mholtz (Mark A. Holtz) 2 Apr 90 Q: gt0159a@prism.gatech.EDU (LEVINSON,MARC LOUIS) 14 Jun 90 R: jla@hiway.scol.pa.us (Jim Anderson) 19 Jun 90 >I have had no bad expierences with SWAN. But I live 3 miles from them. Q: johnb@yang.earlham.edu (John Benjamin) 25 Oct 90 S: Computer, Tandy 1500HD laptop Q: IO00818@MAINE.BITNET (Willie) 15 Nov 90 R: wmf@chinet.chi.il.us (Bill Fischer) 24 Nov 90 >Very nice. R: mvolo@uncecs.edu (Michael R. Volow) 24 Nov 90 >I was impressed. R: smsmith@hpuxa.ircc.ohio-state.edu (Stephen M. Smith) 24 Nov 90 >everyone together..."Tandy is a ripoff, Tandy is a ripoff..." R: holtz@netcord.Eng.Sun.COM (Brian Holtz) 25 Nov 90 >At just under 6 pounds, it _almost_ big and heavy enough to keep me from curling up >with it in this, my favorite chair. S: Computer, Tangent Q: tgl@cs.cmu.edu (Tom Lane) 4 Nov 90 >Review in Byte October 1990. S: Computer, Techcom Labs R: george@racsys.UUCP (George Rachor Jr.) [very dissatisfied] 10 Dec 90 >[in addition to being rude,] >They have repeatedly hung up on both of us and not returned our calls. >Their toll free number is 1-800-253-5338 or their FAX is 1-818-884- >9392. They sometimes do business as Friendly computer or 'Kawaida Computer' >of Monterey Park or Canoga Park California. >TechCom Laboratory / 200 East Mooney Drive / Monterey Park, CA 91754 S: Computer, TENEX Q: leland@cs.columbia.edu (Leland Woodbury) 10 Dec 90 S: Computer, Top Gun Q: rlp@bsu-cs.bsu.edu (Ralph L. Place) 7 Jun 90 S: Computer, Touche Micro Technologies (Illinois) Q: spee@jrdc.go.jp (Paul SPEE) 23 Jan 91 R: tok@stiatl.UUCP (Terry Kane) 24 Jan 91 >They're a subsidiary of "PC PROS" outside Chicago. The Better Business >Bureau would only say that there are numerous unsolved complaints against >PC Pros. I chose not to do business with them. R: chaz@chinet.chi.il.us (Charlie Kestner) 2 Mar 91 >The ONLY problem I had with my PC Pros 386/33 was a bad power cord, which >they FedEx'd. The machine arrive on my doorstep ONE DAY after they said they >were shipping it. I got a great machine, at a great price, and great >followup service. R: smsmith@hpuxa.ircc.ohio-state.edu 26 Feb 91 >After talking with 4-5 people about Touche/PC Pros, it seems everyone has >something bad to say. One guy urged me never to deal with Touche even if I >had to pay a couple hundred dollars more to deal with a reputable company >like Gateway. R: smsmith@hpuxa.ircc.ohio-state.edu (Stephen M. Smith) 28 Feb 91 >The response I got [to my net.request] was overwhelmingly negative. >I found I could not trust Touche to even deliver it to my door. >The Better Business Bureau has received complaints about "inoperative >replacement parts" and "nondelivery of merchandise." > >I also called...well, I can't say who, but it was a major supplier >of Touche's system components. (A VERY MAJOR supplier, hint, hint) >The person I talked to there READILY CONFIRMED that they also had >complaints about Touche, but found himself in a very awkward >position because he immediately gave me indication that he wasn't >supposed to be divulging that sort of information. R: akcs.gregc@vpnet.chi.il.us (Greg) 5 Mar 91 >A well made machine. Q: tjr@cbnewsc.att.com (thomas.j.roberts) 15 Mar 91 S: Computer, Tredex Q: alpert@chovax.enet.dec.com 17 Aug 90 R: crick@unislc.uucp (Richard Geymont) 22 Oct 90 >Do yourself a favor, and buy from anyone but TREDEX!! R: psfales@cbnewsc.att.com (Peter Fales) 10 Aug 90 >I had a bad experience with Tredex Q: faiman@m.cs.uiuc.edu (Mike Faiman) 21 Aug 90 S: Computer, Trend Systems Q: sal@grip.cis.upenn.edu (Marcos Salganicoff) 2 Jan 91 S: Computer, Tri-Star Q: uunet!ccicpg!cci632!gude (Atish Gude) 5 Mar 90 Q: cjeffery@cs.arizona.edu (Clinton Jeffery) 24 Apr 90 Q: alpha@vpnet.chi.il.us (Randy Sales) 10 Nov 90 Q: alpha@vpnet.chi.il.us (Randy Sales) 13 Nov 90 Q: rx3y@vax5.cit.cornell.edu 26 Nov 90 S: Computer, Tri-State in New York R: princeton!idacrd!gmk (Gary M. Kuhn) [negative] 23 Apr 90 >But let's face it, I expect to be treated rough by cut-rate business in NY. R: scherer@dtrc.dt.navy.mil (Scherer) [negative] 23 Apr 90 Q: jon_sree@world.std.com (Jon Sreekanth) 3 Jan 91 R: jon_sree@world.std.com (Jon Sreekanth) [summary] 13 Jan 91 S: Computer, Touche Q: talvola@janus.Berkeley.EDU (Erik Talvola) 14 Aug 90 S: Computer, USA-Flex R: MHS108@psuvm.psu.edu (Mark Solsman) [negative] 12 Apr 90 R: dlucy@tropez.UUCP (Doug Lucy) [negative] 12 Apr 90 R: zentner@cn.ecn.purdue.edu (Michael Zentner) [negative] 12 Apr 90 >I found USA flex to have a very good sales staff ... >but when it came to service, that was another story. S: Computer, Zenith Minisport HD Q: IO00818@MAINE.BITNET (Thru the mirror of my mind) 12 Nov 90 S: Computer, Zenith Turbosport 386 R: uunet!cbmvax!cgh!paul (Paul Homchick) [mixed review] 21 Apr 90 Q: lchen@cs.ubc.ca (Lee Li-Jen Chen) 15 Jun 90 R: russ@prism.gatech.EDU (Russell Shackelford) [mixed review] 15 Jun 90 >Good machine, but with its problems... S: Computer, Zeos Q: krisb@masscomp.ccur.com (Kris Beatty) 19 Mar 90 Q: uunet!motcid!molesb (Bryan Moles) 10 Apr 90 Q: ames!pacbell!sactoh0!mholtz (Mark A. Holtz) 2 Apr 90 Q: harris@umiacs.umd.edu (Michael Harris) 7 Jun 90 Q: peck@ral.rpi.edu (Joseph Peck) [20MHz 386] 13 Jun 90 Q: gt0159a@prism.gatech.EDU (LEVINSON,MARC LOUIS) 14 Jun 90 Q: gp0@beach.cis.ufl.edu (Guenther) [laptop 386SX] 21 Jun 90 R: DOW@MAINE.BITNET (Michael R. Dow) [summary] 22 Jun 90 Q: hp0p+@andrew.cmu.edu (Hokkun Pang) [laptop 386] 6 Oct 90 Q: mholtz@sactoh0.SAC.CA.US (Mark A. Holtz) 16 Oct 90 R: carroll@sunc5.cs.uiuc.edu (Alan M. Carroll) [positive] 17 Oct 90 >[some problems but prompt support] R: marshall@wind55.seri.gov (Marshall L. Buhl) 19 Oct 90 >25 Sep 90 PC Magazine surveys service and reliability. >Zeos 386s were of average reliability, slightly below average tech support >and above average repair service. More than half of the customers said >they would buy from Zeos again. R: yee@edison.seas.ucla.edu (John Yee) [negative] 20 Oct 90 Q: fayne@tellabs.com (Jeffrey Fayne) [286 Notebook] 6 Nov 90 R: tmurphy%peruvian@cs.utah.edu (Thomas Murphy) >My normal preference in "budget" dos machines right now is Zeos. Q: john@xwkg.Icom.Com (John T. Marrinson) [386sx] 8 Dec 90 R: pti4378@ritvax.isc.rit.edu (IGOE, PT) 9 Dec 90 >The whole machine seems to be of excellent quality. R: uunet!decwrl.dec.com!decvax!nicmad!madnix!rat (David Douthitt) >I've had it for 2 months now, and I love it. Q: ganter@urz.unibas.ch (Robert Ganter) 13 Feb 91 Q: mike@yenta.alb.nm.us (Mike Werner) [386-25MHz] 9 Mar 91 S: Computer, choosing a laptop/portable Q: teach@tc.fluke.COM (Dick Beier) 13 Mar 90 >PC Magazine, March 13 1990. S: Computer, general Q: terence@ttidca.TTI.COM (Terence Davis) 26 Mar 90 Q: ajayshah@usc.edu (Ajay Shah) 23 Apr 90 Q: cof@pandora.cs.wayne.edu (Colleen Farrell) 14 Apr 90 Q: silver@suna2.cs.uiuc.edu (Edward A. Silverstein) 9 May 90 R: psrc@mtunq.ATT.COM (Paul S. R. Chisholm) 4 Aug 90 |Step one: look at back issues of PC Magazine for reviews of systems in |the class you're looking for, and at the current issue of Computer |Shopper for good prices. (Note that some of the firms in Computer |Shopper may not be companies you want to do business with. See step |two.) Concentrate on places that have thirty day money back |guarantees. See if they list name brands for their components (a plus |if the mail order place goes under, and you need your pieces fixed). | |Step two: read all of the appropriate newsgroups for awhile. |(comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware is a good one for MS-DOS based systems.) |Look for horror tales, and for recommendations. Gateway 2000 has low |prices, and generally good reviews here on the net (but they're |backordered on the popular systems). | |Step three: sit down and figure out *exactly* what you want, and how |much you expect to pay for it. Think about what your really want |and/or need, as opposed to what you can get a good price on. (A |super-VGA card and monitor is nice if you're running Windows, but few |other applications support anything above vanilla VGA.) Write it down. | |Step four: call around. (If you've gotten recommendations for a |certain company, and you like their prices, you don't *need* to |comparison shop.) Do the prices you're quoted match the ad? Are they |offering a bait and switch, or do they give you something of value for |a few dollars more? ("Would you like a NEC Multisync 3D instead of the |non-name SVGA monitor for an extra hundred dollars?" That's probably |not a bad deal, but except for name brand safety, I don't know what it |buys you.) What *exactly* happens if you want to return your system |and get a refund (e.g., who pays shipping? is there a "restocking |fee"?), or if you need service? Don't be afraid to ask for a written |guarantee! Do the advertised prices "reflect a cash discount", that |is, do you pay a surcharge for using a credit card? Is technical |support done over a toll-free line, or will you be paying big bucks to |the long distance company of your choice* every time you're put on |hold? Is the system FCC class B certified (can you run in at home |without worrying about catching flack for blanking out your neighbors' |TV?) | |Step five: buy with a credit card. If you have real problems, and you |can't resolve them with the vendor, you may be able to get your bank to |stop payment on the charge until problems are resolved. (If you're |really paranoid, order by mail rather than over the phone; if you get |burned, the mail fraud laws can work to your benefit.) | |If you throw all the piece parts together, throw the switch, and don't |get a DOS prompt, will you know what to do? Do you have anywhere to |test the individual components? If not, buying components probably |isn't a good idea. | Q: nol2321@dsacg2.dsac.dla.mil (Jim Dunn) 8 Aug 90 R: banshee@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (Wailin' Through The Nets) 15 Aug 90 >August 1990 PC Magazine reviews 'cheap' 386sx's. If you are >in the market for a cheap (price) 386sx, I suggest you get a >copy the magazine. R: jokim@jarthur.Claremont.EDU (John H. Kim) 17 Oct 90 |[After spending two months scouting out PC firms, Mr. Kim picked | up a copy of PC Sources magazine...] |In less than 20 pages, _PC_Sources_ taught me everything I've |learned in those two months and then some. If you are shopping |for a PC and are stumbling over much of the terminology, the |premiere issue of this magazine is a MUST READ. Even if you |already know the terminology, one of the articles points out |most everything you need to know when mail-ordering and is |an excellent way to outline all your questions before ordering. | R: marshall@wind55.seri.gov (Marshall L. Buhl) 19 Oct 90 >25 Sep 90 PC Magazine surveys service and reliability of various vendors. Q: gc1m+@andrew.cmu.edu (Geoffrey I. Cox) 24 Oct 90 R: link@stew.ssl.berkeley.edu (Richard Link) [summary] R: smsmith@hpuxa.ircc.ohio-state.edu (Stephen M. Smith) 14 Oct 90 |I came across a brand new magazine entitled "PC Sources". October 1990 |issue is a good source for tips on mail order purchasing. |Table of contents: | | Buying Smart: buying PC products by phone | Cracking The Code: How To Read A PC Mail-Order Ad. | Shopping For A Warranty; what considerations are most important. | Marketplace: With Or Without Software? | |To subscribe: P.O. Box 53298, Boulder, CO 80321-3298 (800)827-2078. Q: sundar@mipos2.intel.com 12 Feb 91 Q: gsb@bach.caltech.edu (Suresha Guptha) [486] 7 Mar 91 R: gw1e+@andrew.cmu.edu (Gabriel M. Wachob) 12 Mar 91 >PRICE IS EXCELLENT... R: cy5@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Conway Yee) 9 Mar 91 >The problem with most rags (esp. PC Magazine) is that they do not write >bad reviews about anything. At worst, their reviews are middle of the >road. I guess they can not afford to offend their advertisers. S: Computer, laptop Q: attmail!drutx!druks!lyn (Lynelle Schneeberg) 23 Apr 90 S: Excelan Exos 205 Ethernet card Q: jtliu@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (James T. Liu) 26 Mar 90 S: Fax board Q: ali99@bsu-cs.bsu.edu (Mohammad Ali) 27 Jul 90 Q: mlm@cs.brown.edu (Moises Lejter) 29 Aug 90 Q: ir415@sdcc6.ucsd.edu (Bhaskar Rao) 12 Nov 90 Q: uunet!apple!motcsd!shawn!mark (Mark Jeghers) 27 Jan 91 Q: matt@mips.mitek.com (Matthew Lyle) 5 Feb 91 S: Floppy disks Q: CTB103@psuvm.psu.edu (Chad T. Burkins) 19 Feb 91 S: Floppy disks, MEI Q: cs161fhn@sdcc10.ucsd.edu (Dennis Lou) 12 Feb 91 >How are MEI disks these days? R: kdq@demott.com (Kevin D. Quitt) 12 Feb 91 >They appear to have cleaned up their supplier's act. R: mamos@uafhp.uark.edu (Mark Amos) 13 Feb 91 >We have not had any quality problems to my knowledge. R: snow@drycas.club.cc.cmu.edu 13 Feb 91 >I still buy from MEI. No problems with double density disks, but 57 out >of 100 high density disks were defective. R: amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Allen J Michielsen) 13 Feb 91 >I am about ready to give up on them because of the defective rate, R: arra@inmet.inmet.com (Arra Avakian) 15 Feb 91 >A pack of 50 HD 5.25 disks had 8 bad disks. >I call up MEI two days ago to report the problem, and they have >promised to mail me 8 replacement disks, no charge. R: rdippold@maui.qualcomm.com (Ron Dippold) 19 Feb 91 >I've never had a problem with MEI. If you get bad disks, just tell them and >they will send you replacements. If you ship the bad disks back to them with >a note, they will send you replacements and enough blank disks to make up for >your shipping costs! R: jdb@reef.cis.ufl.edu (Brian K. W. Hook) 20 Feb 91 >They are no frills, high reliability, quick service, low cist. R: kamal@wpi.WPI.EDU (Kamal Z Zamli) 25 Feb 91 >I haven't had any problems with it. R: albert@endor.uucp (David Albert) 25 Feb 91 >On the one occasion that I received diskettes with bad sectors, >I called them about it and they immediately shipped replacements >(I didn't have to return the bad ones). They were very nice about it. S: Hard disk card Q: furlong@tdoc9.mdcbbs.com (Carey M. Furlong) 14 Mar 90 S: Hard disk cards for PS/2 30-286 Q: zhang@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Hong Zhang) 23 Mar 90 S: Hard disk controller, Perstor vs WD1006 RLL Q: kgreen@dukeac.ac.duke.edu (Kendall B Green) 20 Mar 90 S: Hard disk controller, two in one machine Q: gb7@prism.gatech.EDU (Joe Bradley) 15 Mar 90 Q: smithju@cell.mot.COM (Justin A. Smith) 15 Mar 90 S: Hard disk controllers, which work with what drives? Q: drich@dialogic.dialogic.com (Dan Rich) 22 Mar 90 S: Hard disk, Conner Q: weisen@eniac.seas.upenn.edu (Neil Weisenfeld) 15 Apr 90 R: feustel@well.sf.ca.us (David Alan Feustel) [positive] 17 Apr 90 R: ucbvax!van-bc!oneb!kmcvay (Ken McVay) [positive] 17 Apr 90 R: uunet!cpqhou!scottn (Scott Nesbitt) [positive] 16 Apr 90 S: Hard disk/floppy disk RLL 1:1 16-bit controller Q: wdarden@nrtc.nrtc.northrop.com (Bill Darden) 26 Mar 90 S: Hard disk, SyQuest 44MB removable Q: pnl@hpfinote.HP.COM (Peter Lim) 12 Apr 90 S: Hard disk, general Q: wngai@ics.uci.edu (Wayne Ngai) 11 May 90 S: Hard drives in old PCs Q: dvlsan@apollon.cs.umu.se (Stefan Anderson) 19 Apr 90 S: Mail order companies, PC Connection R: uw-beaver!sumax!ole!ray (Ray Berry) [positive] 4 May 90 R: beekun@unssun.nevada.edu (R. I. Beekun) [positive] 5 May 90 >PC Connection is the absolutely best. [sic] R: groupe@mips2.cr.bull.com (Alan Groupe) [positive] 8 May 90 >It really doesn't get any better than this. S: Mail-order discount houses for 386s (general comments) R: gatec!stiatl!mnopltd!neal (Neal Rhodes) 12 Apr 90 >What do you expect when you go for the lowest price? >I await the day when America realizes that you gotta pay a little above >dealer cost if ya want the dealer to survive and stand behind their products. R: karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Karl Denninger) 12 Apr 90 >You can't expect excellent service from a mailorder place if you want the >rock-bottom price. The people who shop on price alone are inevitably going >to get hurt, sooner or later. R: poffen@sj.ate.slb.com (Russ Poffenberger) 20 Apr 90 >There is a simple rule of thumb to follow when buying PC products. If you >know EXACTLY what you want, and it will fit your needs, then by all means >order from a mail-order house. Just be sure it isn't a scam. The ONLY thing >you should ever have to deal with them on the order would be DOA or wrong >merchandise. If it doesn't exactly fit your needs, you are the only one to >blame. > >On the other hand, if you are unsure, or feel you will need help in >choosing the correct brand or product, or help in installing or setting it >up the product, buy from a company that is sure to offer good support. I >try to buy from local places that are within driving distance. That way, I >don't have to sit on the phone trying to get action, I can go there in >person. > >Sure I may pay a little more, but I have had to return a couple of >items, and have had minor problems, but they were quickly and easily >cleared up by a visit in person to the store. S: Monitor, COMPEQ LOOP SVGA Q: nelson@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (Russ Nelson) 6 Jun 90 >I've got one and I wouldn't part with it. S: Monitor, Dell R: marshall@wind55.seri.gov (Marshall L. Buhl) [positive] 24 Apr 90 S: Monitor, EGA Q: DWONG@vm.ucs.UAlberta.CA (Debbie Wong) 25 Apr 90 >The May 1990 issue of PC Magazine reviews 24 monitors. S: Monitor, Gateway VGA Q: tom@dvnspc1.Dev.Unisys.COM (Tom Albrecht) 26 Mar 90 S: Monitor, Goldstar Q: uunet!sequent!kevinr (Kevin W. Rudd) 24 Apr 90 R: cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!hrc!xroads!beagle!chandler (Jim Chandler) 25 Apr 90 S: Monitor, Maatsushita View Perfect 3 R: rama@andy.bgsu.edu (Sub Ramakrishnan) >Same features as NEC 3D but costs a lot less. Works just fine. S: Monitor, Mag Computronic VGA Monitor Q: jin@spdcc.COM (Jerry Natowitz) 16 Jan 91 R: jstone@world.std.com (Jeffrey R Stone) 16 Jan 91 >has one. I have no reason to wish I'd made another choice. S: Monitor, Mitsubishi DiamondScan R: cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!hrc!xroads!beagle!chandler (Jim Chandler) 25 Apr 90 S: Monitor, Multisync Q: gsgi_cif@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Gregory Gibson) 8 Mar 90 S: Monitor, NANAO FlexScan 9070U R: cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!hrc!xroads!beagle!chandler (Jim Chandler) 25 Apr 90 S: Monitor, NEC R: cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!hrc!xroads!beagle!chandler (Jim Chandler) 25 Apr 90 R: burton@mitisft.Convergent.COM (Philip Burton) 24 Apr 90 R: gpatel@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Gautam Patel) 24 Apr 90 >I have an NEC 3D and I have nothing but praise for it. R: dmurdoch@watstat.waterloo.edu (Duncan Murdoch) >I like [NEC 3D], but want to warn you: it can only do 1024x768 interlaced. R: tpf@jdyx.atlanta.ga.us (Tom Friedel) >[NEC 3D] one of the cheapest monitors that will do 1024x768 S: Monitor, Paradise Q: uunet!bartek1!norm (Norm Bartek) 6 May 90 S: Monitor, Princeton Q: uunet!sequent!kevinr (Kevin W. Rudd) 24 Apr 90 R: marshall@wind55.seri.gov (Marshall L. Buhl) [negative] 24 Apr 90 R: cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!hrc!xroads!beagle!chandler (Jim Chandler) 25 Apr 90 R: mjw06513@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Mary Winters) >The Princeton Ultrasync is an excellent monitor. S: Monitor, Seiko Q: stretch@EMUNIX.EMICH.EDU (Brian Stretch) [1450] 24 Oct 90 Q: lchen@cs.ubc.ca (Lee Li-Jen Chen) [1440] 23 Oct 90 R: jbraun@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (James S Braun) [1440] 22 Nov 90 >The Seiko 1440 is an excellent monitor in my estimation. S: Monitor, SVGA Q: peter@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Peter Wu) [summary] 5 Jun 90 R: troby@diana.cair.du.edu (THORNTON ROBY) >See PC Magazine, 15 May 1990 and 10 Apr 1990 for reviews. S: Monitor, VGA Q: cs163wbf@icse2.ucsd.edu (RICHARD WUN) 8 May 90 R: eggbert@bucsf.bu.edu (Eugene Wang) 9 May 90 >April 10, 1990 PC Magazine reviews 1024x768 noninterlaced monitors. >May 15, 1990 PC Magazine reviews Super VGA monitors (800x600) > but some go to 1024x768. >May 1990 PC World tries to find the "best value" among multiscan monitors. S: Monitor, Zenith Z-1492 FTM Q: dd2x+@andrew.cmu.edu (David Dwiggins) 9 Apr 90 S: Motherboard, 286 Q: seybert@en.ecn.purdue.edu (Brian Seybert) 28 Nov 90 S: Motherboard, 386 Q: acero@tank.uchicago.edu (Anibal Acero) [summary] 6 Mar 90 Q: tett@cbnewse.ATT.COM (chad.a.hoffstetter) 22 Mar 90 Q: bjb@hubcap.clemson.edu (BJ Backitis) 14 Mar 90 Q: ux2674@sdcc12.ucsd.edu (matti siltanen) 11 Oct 90 Q: dmk@cbnewsi.att.com (daniel.m.kuster..jr) 29 Oct 90 Q: clee@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (Chang L. Lee) 30 Oct 90 S: Motherboard, 386 or 386SX, with 287 coprocessor socket Q: acero@tank.uchicago.edu (Anibal Acero) [summary] 2 Apr 90 R: dmurdoch@watstat.waterloo.edu (Duncan Murdoch) >I'm using an old 386 with a 287, and don't recommend it. R: chao@cory.Berkeley.EDU (Chia-Chi) >I doubt very much that you will find a 386SX board which supports 287. >JDR Microdevices has a 386 board (no cache) that does support 287. R: jt19840@tutor.tut.fi (Jyrki Tuomi) >Addresses taken from advertisements in Microcornucopia magazine: >JDR Microdevices, 2233 Branham Lane, San Jose, CA 95124, > Orders: 1-800-538-5000, Tech: (408) 559-1200 >Microsphere Computers, 855 N.W. Wall, Bend, OR 97701 > Orders: 1-800-234-8086, Tech: (503) 388-1194 R: srhqla!demott!kdq (Kevin D. Quitt) >Twinhead makes a 386 mother board that will accept either the 387 or 287 R: uw-beaver!sumax!polari!kentkar (Kent Karrer) >Very satisfied with a 386dx motherboard from Babtech Enterprise Company Inc. S: Motherboard, 386SX Q: jbaker@gmuvax.gmu.edu (jbaker) 30 Mar 90 S: Motherboard, 386, AMI Q: dcheng@se-sd.SanDiego.NCR.COM (Danny Cheng) [MKII 25MHz] 27 Jul 90 S: Motherboard, 386, DTK R: jca@pnet01.cts.com (John C. Archambeau) 18 Nov 90 >I would not buy a DTK motherboard because of the problems documented in going >in and out of protected mode on the 386. Their 286 boards aren't that great >because some of the later versions only support expanded memory. >The problem with DTK's 386 motherboards is so well documented that Novell has >an official patch to make Netware run on a DTK 386 motherboard. >Look into another manufacturer of motherboard please! You'll thank yourself. R: hoepfner@usun01.UUCP (Andreas Hoepfner) 20 Nov 90 >It is possible to fix the problem by changing the keybord- >controller *AND* the BIOS from DTK to PHOENIX ! R: fac7@dayton.saic.com (Steven Poling) 21 Nov 90 >I have had some problems with some of their 286 boards during the first part >of 1989 but after that I have sold many DTK motherboards and know of one >business here in Dayton that will sell only DTK motherboards. Just remember, >if you are going to buy a clone motherboard..... know the people that you are >buying it from or buy it from someone else who knows the company/people. R: jdb@beach.cis.ufl.edu (Brian W.K. Hook) 22 Nov 90 >I have used DTK boards, and to be honest, I don't like them. >DTK used to be pretty big back in the mid-Eighties, but have since lost >their technical edge. Thus they are trying sell quantity at low prices. >Quality control has DEFINITELY suffered. R: loc@yrloc.ipsa.reuter.COM (Leigh Clayton) 7 Feb 91 >I have had no trouble with it to speak of. R: nem@hare.udev.cdc.com (neal e meyer) 7 Feb 91 >I have a DTK motherboard (386SX 20mhz) and I have had no problems. R: jdb@swamp.cis.ufl.edu (Brian K. W. Hook) 7 Feb 91 >I've a bunch of small problems with them, too small and frequent to post about. >DTK does not give direct end user support. This is a serious problem, since >the DTK support will only be as good as the company you purchased the >equipment from. R: AVP100@psuvm.psu.edu 8 Feb 91 >I have run everything on the market (incl. OS/2) with no problems/conflicts. R: bgeer@javelin.es.com (Bob Geer) 8 Feb 91 >I've used my 2-yr-old DTK 386-20 ma-board w/ no problems at all. R: djnelso@PacBell.COM (David J. Nelson) 8 Feb 91 >I have a DTK 386-20 mother board and have had problems with it. >DTK doesn't admit to a problem, but will fix for a small $160 fee. R: scogman@vaxb.acs.unt.edu 10 Feb 91 >I have built many machines using DTK motherboards and have had no trouble. >I even run OS/S 1.2 on it with no problems. S: Motherboard, 386, EVEREX Revision E Q: root@Comsys.COM (Alex Huppenthal) 10 Mar 90 S: Motherboard, 386, Intel 386/PC Inboard R: gec@cscosl.ncsu.edu (Errol Casey) [summary] 23 Mar 90 R: 870646c%AcadiaU.CA@ncsuvm.ncsu.edu (Barry) R: larson@nprdc.navy.mil (Orvin Larson) R: nghiem@ut-emx.UUCP (Alex Nghiem) R: skl@wimsey.bc.ca (Samuel Lam) R: straussr@acf1.nyu.edu (Rosemary Strauss) R: pault@hp-ptp.HP.COM (Paul_Taira) S: Motherboard, 386, Fujikama Q: rafiq@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Salik "slick" Rafiq) 18 Nov 90 R: ajai@sce.carleton.ca (Ajai Sehgal) 23 Nov 90 >Running Fujikamma motherboards for years with no problems. R: guy@contact.uucp (Guy Lemieux) 25 Nov 90 >My problem with Fujikama is their absolute *lack* of service. I am a dealer. >Although I have to say that Fujikama probably has some of the best prices >around, I also noticed that you "get what you pay for". >I would not trust what they say any further than I could throw a pickup truck. >I found their customer support lousy and their service distasteful. >I no longer deal with them. S: Motherboard, 386, Jameco R: bbesler@vela.acs.oakland.edu (Brent Besler) 23 Mar 90 S: Motherboard, 486 Q: ux2674@sdcc12.ucsd.edu (matti siltanen) 11 Oct 90 S: Motherboard, 486 EISA Q: talvola@janus.berkeley.edu (Erik Talvola) 12 Mar 90 S: Motherboard, Mylex vs Micronics Q: brh@ecsvax.uncecs.edu (Bobby R. Harris) 12 Mar 90 S: SCSI board for PS2 MOD 80-071 Q: purdue!haven!uvaarpa!mcnc!rti!sas!jwd (John W. DeBoskey) 12 Apr 90 S: SCSI controller IN2000 by Always Inc Q: uunet!stsabq!pcarew (Paul Carew) 10 Apr 90 S: Santa Clara diskless workstations Q: RBAUER@oregon.uoregon.edu (Robert Bauer) 14 Mar 90 S: Scanners/OCR Q: svirsky@ttidcc.tti.com (Bill Svirsky) [400dpi hand-held] 17 Mar 90 Q: scream@sun.acs.udel.edu (Darren R Amato) [full-page] 25 Apr 90 Q: scott@spectra.com (Tim Scott) 2 May 90 Q: scherer@dtrc.dt.navy.mil (Scherer) [full-page] 3 May 90 R: nelson_p@apollo.HP.COM (Peter Nelson) [review of Scanman-Plus] 16 Apr 90 Q: chow@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu (Jonathan Chow) [Canon page scanner] 3 May 90 Q: glenn@welch.jhu.edu (Glenn M. Mason) [full page] 31 May 90 Q: yoon@aludra.usc.edu (Dae-Kyun Yoon) [hand-held] 2 Jun 90 Q: uw-beaver!ssc-vax!bcsaic!paula (Paul Allen) [hand-held] 5 Jun 90 Q: Classic_-_Concepts@cup.portal.com [Mirror 300DPI] 2 Jun 90 Q: frank@odetics.com (Frank Merrow) [full page] 15 Oct 90 Q: spierk@turing.cs.rpi.edu (Kevin Spier) [full-page] 13 Nov 90 Q: muns@quads.uchicago.edu (Ziad Munson) [less than $500] 9 Nov 90 Q: neman@sunee.waterloo.edu (Neman "Napalm" Syed) [long survey] 12 Dec 90 R: myk@vax5.cit.cornell.edu (Mike Oltz) [summary on low-end OCR] 17 Jan 91 >They all referred me to the October 30, 1990 issue of PC Magazine. Q: tachyon@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (Tane' Tachyon) [< $200] 13 Feb 91 S: Sequa Chameleon PC Q: lloyd@ficc.uu.net (greg lloyd) 30 Mar 90 S: Sony 1304HG Q: cyamamot@aludra.usc.edu (Cliff Yamamoto) 17 Apr 90 R: phil@pepsi.amd.com (Phil Ngai) 18 Apr 90 S: Sony CPD-1304 Q: alf@edstip.EDS.COM (John Hamill) 12 Mar 90 S: Sota 286i and 386i Accelerator Cards for PCs R: gec@cscosl.ncsu.edu (Errol Casey) [summary] 25 Mar 90 R: nghiem@emx.utexas.edu (Alex Nghiem) R: RFM@psuvm.psu.edu (Bob Munzenrider) R: granoff@vaxwrk.enet.dec.com (Mark H. Granoff) R: homerun@portia.Stanford.EDU (Matt Watson) R: baer@uwovax.uwo.ca (Douglas Baer) (willing to discuss further) R: sigma@pawl.rpi.edu (Kevin J Martin) R: leadsv!zech@gatech.edu (Bill Zech) R: cs.utexas.edu!helios!tamunix!briggs (Mark Lowe) 31 Jul 90 >The SOTA 286 board is good. S: Sound boards R: brian@leah.Albany.Edu (Brian King) [summary] 27 Jun 90 S: Tape backup Q: baalke@mars.jpl.nasa.gov (Ron Baalke) 19 Jul 90 > [asks many detailed questions] R: harper@convex.com (David Harper) 19 Jul 90 Q: stephen@hantsq.enet.dec.com (Stephen Wong) [summary] 19 Jul 90 R: mehtash@clutx.clarkson.edu (Amanda Sutton) R: poffen@sj.ate.slb.com R: malloy@nprdc.navy.mil (Sean Malloy) R: pjd@hpuxa.ircc.ohio-state.edu (Peter J. Dotzauer) R: segpc!seg@vicom.com R: beareq!fx4!thieb@ai.mit.edu (Thieb) R: boulder!iscden!jbev@boulder.Colorado.EDU R: cgordon@vpnet.chi.il.us (Gordon Hlavenka) R: carlg@rosevax.rosemount.com (Carl Gansen) R: jpd@pc.usl.edu (Dugal James P.) R: akcs.gregc@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Greg) 24 Jul 90 S: Tandy 4016SX Q: dd2x+@andrew.cmu.edu (David Eugene Dwiggins) 14 Apr 90 S: Trackball Q: pkim@skat.usc.edu (Philip Kim) 3 Mar 90 Q: ted@helios.ucsc.edu (Ted Cantrall) 11 Apr 90 Q: jstone@world.std.com (Jeffrey R Stone) 6 Feb 91 S: Trackball, Logitech Trackman Q: elund@pro-graphics.cts.com (Eric Lund) 25 Mar 90 R: fredb@llama.rtech.com (Fred Buechler), willing to discuss. >Been using one for about 2 weeks, and I just love the thing. R: arritt@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (Ray Arritt) >I have one and greatly prefer it to a mouse. My only complaint is that the >overall "feel" of the construction is rather cheesy. R: dlow%hpspcoi@hplabs.hp.com (Danny Low) >Although it doesn't feel quite as "right", it's very handy. A real winner. R: leoh@hardy.hdw.csd.harris.com (Leo Hinds) >The layout is excellent, much superior to the "real inverted mouse" >trackball others make. R: elund@pro-graphics.cts.com (Eric Lund) 26 Apr 90 >I love it. Q: det@hawkmoon.MN.ORG (Derek E. Terveer) 20 May 90 S: VGA card, 1024x748 non-interlaced Q: gatech!kd4nc!km4ba!alan (Alan Barrow) 18 Mar 90 S: VGA card, ATI VGA Wonder Q: stephen@hantsq.dec.com (Stephen Wong) 30 Apr 90 S: VGA card, Genoa Q: shedevil@portia.Stanford.EDU (Anne Prisk) [positive] 13 Jun 90 R: rama@andy.bgsu.edu (Sub Ramakrishnan) [Genoa 6400] >Satisfied with its price and performance. R: rdt155r@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au (Ron van Schyndel) 14 Jun 90 >I've used the Model 5300 and 5400 card and am satisfied with their overall >performance. S: VGA card, Paradise 1024 R: drp@vpnet.chi.il.us (Douglas Pokorny) 24 Jun 90 S: VGA card, Suntek Q: chaim@eniac.seas.upenn.edu (Chaim Dworkin) 27 Apr 90 S: VGA card, general Q: peter@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Peter J Diaz de Leon) 13 Mar 90 Q: uunet!unhd!stm (Steven T Mcclure) 23 Apr 90 >See Info World, 11 December 1989; PC Magazine, 10 April 1990 S: i860 and i960 board for AT-bus Q: rutgers!mcnc!ecsgate!ecsvax!dukeac!don (Don Mullen) 16 Apr 90