scotte@applix.com (Scott Evernden) (10/03/90)
In article <10251.27071414@pbs.org> djohnston@pbs.org writes: >My parents are looking at buying an IBM (or clone) machine and I would like >to get some opinions from some other folks regarding the IBM PS/1. Get the latest (October) PC Computing magazine and read John Dvorak's column entitled "PS/1 Won't Find A Home Anywhere". . . -scott
coffman@plains.NoDak.edu (Clark Coffman) (10/03/90)
In article <1084@applix.com> scotte@applix.UUCP (Scott Evernden) writes: [In article <10251.27071414@pbs.org> djohnston@pbs.org writes: [>My parents are looking at buying an IBM (or clone) machine and I would like [>to get some opinions from some other folks regarding the IBM PS/1. [ [Get the latest (October) PC Computing magazine and read John Dvorak's [column entitled "PS/1 Won't Find A Home Anywhere". . . [ [-scott Then also look in the new Computer Shopper and compare prices, seems to me with the limited options of the PS/1 a real 286 is a much better deal or even a 386SX at the current prices. Who the heck advises IBM on marketing issues anyway, must be the same team from the PCjr, do they ever come out into the real world or what? ;)
smsmith@hpuxa.ircc.ohio-state.edu (Stephen M. Smith) (11/25/90)
In article <1401@mts.ucs.UAlberta.CA> userLEBA@mts.ucs.UAlberta.CA (Andre LeBlanc) writes: >>My parents are looking at buying an IBM (or clone) machine and I would like >>to get some opinions from some other folks regarding the IBM PS/1. [deletions] > >You said your parents were looking for a dos machine. If there >is a real reason for this, then fine, but it sounds like they'd >be better off with a Macintosh. > >If a dos machine is what is truly required, the PS/1 is a good deal >considering what you get for the price. However, it is limited >in some ways, like you can't attach a co-processor, there's no >serial port. It's not readily expandable. [deletions] I would advise against purchasing a PS/1 for the following reasons: 1) It is underpowered: Not only is it a 286-based machine, but it runs at 10 MHz instead of the business standard 12 MHz. For the same price you can buy a 386sx. 2) Hence it is overpriced. At $1999 (with the 30 MEG hard drive) it is outrageous. 3) As stated above, it has little expandability: IBM designed it to have the power supply in the monitor. (Yes, inside the monitor.) This means that you can never get a new monitor, and if either the monitor or the power supply fails you have to buy a whole new machine. It is difficult to hook up a 5.25 drive in it, nor can you exchange video cards or add such things as a Soundblaster, Ad Lib, etc., without IBM's special "chassis add-on". 4) Bad video: Plain VGA on a *smaller* screen (12"). 5) Few good reviews: There have been few positive reviews of this machine. Here's an excerpt from one in the Computer Shopper: "The PS/1 is an underpowered, overpriced, machine in which you, as a Computer Shopper reader and a PC-literate person, will have no interest." For the same price you could buy Gateway's 386sx which comes with 4 MEG RAM, 1.2MB and 1.44MB Epson drives, 40 MEG 17ms IDE drive, 16 Bit video controller with 512k, 14" SVGA (1024x768) monitor, 1 parallel & 2 serial ports, DOS, and Windows 3.0. S. "Stevie" Smith \ + / <smsmith@hpuxa. \+++++/ " #*&<-[89s]*(k#$@-_=//a2$]'+=.(2_&*%>,,@ ircc.ohio-state. \ + / {7%*@,..":27g)-=,#*:.#,/6&1*.4-,l@#9:-) " edu> \ + / BTW, WYSInaWYG \ + / --witty.saying.ARC