🚀 go-pugleaf

In article 07253253@cc4.crl.aecl.ca, csullogg@cc4.crl.aecl.ca () writes:
>
>Not power hungry; just not stupid. Please explaing WHY
>someone should buy an SX system today. I would LOVE
>to hear why this person would not have a clouded mind.
>It is easy to toss out cute comments on the net that
>seem philosophical and have a point. Please back up
>your statement on clouded minds. This should be
>fascinating!

Hey, I've finally made it into a subject line!  Ahhh...my life 
is complete.

Of _course_ no one should buy am SX system today--heck the difference 
between an 8088 and 386DX system is negligible these days, so why not 
go with the faster one?  Saving a few pennies (literally) by buying 
an SX is pointless.

But this wasn't what my cute comment was about.  You stated that the 
386sx was a worthless processor without any merits whatsoever.  IMO 
that's completely off base.  The 68000 in the ST is still very viable
for many people.  Ditto for a 386sx based PC.  I have done serious
software development on one, played popular games like Wolfenstein
3-D and Civilization, done heavy duty word processing, managed
databases, etc, on a 386sx with no speed problems at all.  In fact, 
for most things I do I don't even need this much processor.  I _don't_
run Windows or OS/2, though, and I don't use any of those monster
Windows word processors/DTP packages.  For such things I admit that
a 386sx is not very suitable.  It is debatable, though, whether this
is simply because the processor is underpowered or the software in
question was poorly designed.

That was my point, that all the current "gotta have speed, speed,
speed" thinking has clouded people's minds about what speed really
is.  Lots of people think you need a 486 just to do word processing.
[I'm no dummy about 80x86 processors either.  Want to talk about
instruction timings?  Assembly level optimization?  I'm game.]

The one thing I _do_ have a complaint about is the speed with which
processors are dumped by the market and considered obsolete.  As late
as mid-1992 there were still lots of companies selling 386sx based
systems.  And a lot of people bought them.  Telling these people that
they now have to upgrade, a year later, is pretty rotten IMO.  Even
if a new motherboard only costs $200.

--
James Hague   
exuhag@exu.ericsson.se