188 lines
7.8 KiB
Plaintext
188 lines
7.8 KiB
Plaintext
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The developer's guide to buying a 386
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-------------------------------------
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With Presentation Manager now ready, now is the time to upgrade your
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development machine. Robert Schifreen surveyed the recent PC show
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looking for a 386 machine with colour VGA graphics that wouldn't break
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the bank.
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-----
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Although there were very few major product launches at the PC Show this
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year, the event was an ideal opportunity for those in search of a new PC
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to take a look at what was on offer. As a software developer, I was
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after a cheap 386 machine with a fast hard disk, that would allow me to
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edit and compile my code as fast as possible. I wasn't too bothered about
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looking to buy from a major manufacturer - I wanted a VGA system (ready
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for Presentation Manager) with hard disk, at least 1 MB of RAM (very
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expandable, too) and a price tag of around <20>3000. Surprisingly, I found
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quite a few machines. Each has different points in its favour, so I'll
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refrain from the customary tables of figures and specifications.
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Instead, I'll give the basic facts on each, plus phone numbers in case
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you want to find out more.
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Amstrad 2386
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------------
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If you need your machine to be available now, don't bother reading any
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more of this section. Amstrad's 386 won't be on sale until January. By
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then, the company will have a 20 MHz machine with 4 MB of RAM as
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standard, expandable to 16, and a custom cache controller chip with 64K
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of 35ns static RAM. There will be a socket for a 387. The Amstrad BIOS
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will be 32 bits wide, whereas some (like Walters's) are only 16. The
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fast BIOS makes it unnecessary to copy it into cache memory, as some 386
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machines do.
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Storage comprises one 1.44 MB 3.5 inch floppy, and a 65 MB RLL hard disk
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with 40 ms access time. External 5.25 inch drives will also be
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available. You get Microsoft Windows/386 and MS-DOS 4.0 thrown in, and
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the on-board VGA adaptor (chips by Paradise) is coupled with a new
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Amstrad 14 inch hi-res colour monitor. The graphics system will emulate
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MDA, CGA, EGA and Hercules. The whole lot will retail for <20>2999+VAT
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which, taking the amount of RAM into account, will make it the cheapest
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machine on the market.
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Amstrad are currently overhauling their dealer network, and only the more
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upmarket ones will be allowed to sell this machine. More on 0277 230222,
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but it's not worth calling this side of Christmas.
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CAS Computers Ltd
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-----------------
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CAS provide a range of 386 machines. Perhaps the best value comes from
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their 20 MHz system with 40 MB 28ms hard drive, 1MB of RAM, a 1.2MB 5.25
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inch floppy, keyboard and VGA card, with NEC Multisync II monitor. This
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retails at <20>2425, to which you add VAT, and <20>50 for DOS. More on 01 291
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5777.
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Dell System 310
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---------------
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Dell launched the 20 MHz system 310 last year. It's now been reduced in
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price, following the launch of their 25 MHz system 325. The 310 (the 325
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is too expensive for this sub-<2D>3000 list) contains 1 MB of RAM, a 102 key
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keyboard, two serial and one parallel ports, one floppy drive (choose
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which size) and monitor. A colour VGA system with 40 MB, 28 ms hard disk
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is now down to <20>2999 + VAT. A mono VGA system is <20>200 less. Call Dell
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(free) for more information, on 0800 414535. One reason why the systems
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are so cheap is that Dell operate a mail order service - there are no
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dealers.
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Elonex
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------
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Elonex have a 20 MHz 386 machine called the 386-S. This runs at 20MHz
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and has 2 serial ports and one Centronics. It comes with a 44 MB, 28 ms
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hard disk, 2 MB of RAM and a 1.2 MB floppy. A VGA system with VGA
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monitor is <20>3195 + VAT. Add <20>100 for an NEC Multisync. More on 01 965
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3225.
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Hi-Grade
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--------
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You may not have heard of the name, but it's well worth looking at the
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prices before you turn away. Hi-Grade have 2 machines. The first is
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based on the Micronyx motherboard and contains a 386-20, running at 20
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MHz. You get 1 MB of RAM and a 20 MB, 28 ms hard drive for <20>2165. This
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is a mono system, and includes one of each floppy. Add <20>335 for VGA
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(card and monitor) and you get <20>2500. This includes 2 serial and 2
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parallel ports, but not DOS. The other machine is similar spec, but runs
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a 386-16, though also at 20 MHz. This is <20>2085 for the full VGA system
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and is based on a chips and technologies motherboard. Hi-Grade are on 01
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482 4024.
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Samsung
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-------
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The Samsung S800 is a desktop 386 running at 20 MHz. The VGA system is
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due out later this month. Meanwhile, the EGA system with 1 MB of RAM (of
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which the top 384K holds a copy of the BIOS), a 1.44 MB and 1.2 MB floppy
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and 20 MB 65 ms hard drive retails for <20>2970 + VAT. You'd need to add a
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monitor to this. For a 40 MB hard drive with 28 ms access, the price
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goes up to <20>3475. These are official retail prices, and you can get them
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much cheaper. The best reductions I have found are from Fast Micro Ltd
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in London, who charge <20>2348 and <20>2772 respectively, plus VAT. Fast Micro
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are on 01 291 6565, which makes Samsung's phone number irrelevant.
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Vegas
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-----
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Vegas are new to the UK. Rather than having a catalogue of two or three
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machines, the company sells each component separately. You specify all
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the bits you want, and they will be assembled into the system of your
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choice. To build a 386 system you start with a cabinet (floor standing)
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containing a 16 MHz 386 motherboard and an unpopulated memory card. This
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is <20>1378.50. One way of making this into a usable system is to add 2 MB
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of RAM (<28>748.50), a Mitsubishi 1.2 MB 5.25 inch floppy (<28>96.75) and
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Mitsubishi 720K 3.5 inch drive (<28>97.50), a 30 MB Seagate RLL hard drive
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(<28>217.75 plus <20>100 for controller), Genoa Super VGA card (<28>230.25), 2
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serial ports and a parallel port (<28>34.50), keyboard (<28>41.75) and mono VGA
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monitor (<28>93.25). This comes to <20>3039.25, plus VAT. More information
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from Vegas on 01 659 9166.
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Viglen
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------
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Viglen introduced a 386 machine at the PC show. The V4411 has a 40 MB
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hard drive and runs at 8, 16 or 20 MHz with zero wait states. There is 2
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MB of RAM on board, 2 serial and 2 parallel ports, a games port and
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mouse, a 1.2 MB floppy, DOS, Windows and BASIC. With VGA card and
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monitor, the price is <20>3444.25 + VAT. Another <20>402.50 ups the clock
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speed to 25 MHz. Further details from Viglen on 01 843 9903.
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Walters
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-------
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Walters launched the cheapest 386 machine of the year at the PC show.
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For <20>1260 + VAT you get a 16 MHz machine with 1 MB of RAM, expandable to
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16. The system has 8 slots and a 1.2 MB drive, plus parallel port and
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Hercules graphics monitor and card. To this, you must add <20>800 for VGA,
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<EFBFBD>30 for a serial port and <20>330 for a 20 MB, 65 ms hard disk, which brings
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the total to a very respectable <20>2420 + VAT. More on 0494 32751.
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--------
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<1f>
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Please be aware that, although the quoted prices were current at the time
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of writing, exchange rates and RAM shortages may well cause them to
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change slightly.
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<1t>
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------
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Colour VGA, 386 machines including monitor and keyboard but not VAT.
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MHz RAM HD MB HD speed FDD Price
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Hi-Grade 20 1 20 28 Both 2085
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Samsung 20 1 20 65 Both 2348 (EGA)
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Walters 16 1 20 65 5.25 2420
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CAS 20 1 40 28 5.25 2425
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Amstrad 20 4 65 40 3.5 2999
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Dell 20 1 40 28 5.25 2999
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Vegas 16 2 30 28 Both 3039
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Elonex 20 2 44 28 5.25 3195
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Viglen 20 2 40 28 5.25 3444
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NOTES: 1. Viglen's price is INC VAT
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2. CompuAdd's phone number is 0272 637488.
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This article taken from .EXE Magazine, November 1988. You may distribute
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copies of this file, as long as this notice is not removed. For details
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of .EXE, please call 01 994 6477.
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ends
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