🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <361034936wnr@wilsoni.demon.co.uk>
           ian@wilsoni.demon.co.uk "Ian Wilson" writes:

} As I have been spoilt by having an IBM PS/2 model 60 + AOX DX20 +

A model 60 and you are spoilt ? Most of my colleagues and I consider
them braindead, and have long since junked them the model 80 was OK
just :( [this is a "Big Company" view ]

} 400MB ESDI + 11MB RAM + IBM 4072 Execjet printer + 8515 14" screen

ESDI is an IBM standard for *slow* drives, any IBM42xx driver will
work, the 8514 was good in its day but it, and the 8514/A adapter were
mind numbingly expensive.

} since January 1991, + USR Sportster 14,400 FAX MODEM for last two
} years, and have never needed a single service call in all that time

Built like brick shit houses, and over engineered to last forever :(

} I am looking for a system that will be very reliable and need little
} upgrading.

You will never beat the reliability of the model 60/80 tower machines,
they even have feet designed to slice your ankles off if you use the
carrying handle.

} I use my PC for usual home connected activities as covered by
} MicroSoft Works, Lotus 1,2,3 etc with some games activities and now
} a lot of Net activity.  For many years I only used DOS applications
} but I have been forced into Windows 3.1 to use Net Applications, Web
} Browsers etc.

} The main feature enhancements required are 6 x CD-ROM, good sound,
} good 17" monitor, 28,800 (V34) Fax modem.  All installation disks or
} CDs for preloaded software are required and manuals where appropriate.

6X is fast, my Plextor is rated at 922Kbits/sec but it is SCSI I don't
know of any 6X EIDE drives, indeed to SCSI or not to SCSI is a big
decision, for your requirements I wouldn't bother, but CDROMS on EIDE
M/B's can be troublesome, they often want to be masters and have to go
on the second channel/controller

} Looking at your recent advert in PC PLUS dated May 1996 I think that
} the Platinum Triton SE - P133 - 2Gb has most of the features that I
} will require but I have a few questions:
} (note: the Platinum Triton SE has Intel advanced Endeavour
}        motherboard + Intel 430FX PCIset + Diamond Stealth
}        64VideoVRAM 2MB card + Corsair 512kb Pipeline-Burst cache
}        + 16MB EDO RAM + Creative Integrated sound using Creative
}        Labs vibra 16 chipset + TEAC CD-56E six speed CD-ROM + Vale
}        EcoScan 17 monitor. )

The Vibra is not very good, I dumped mine, on an Endeavour, by using
the MR BIOS and plugged in an SB16

The extra speed of the 133 over the 120 is not worth the cost
difference (IMHO)

} Question 3:
} In view of the small size of my current hard disks I simply zip files
} to diskettes for backup every couple of months.  I can see this being
} a much bigger problem with larger hard disks.  What back up system
} would be most appropriate for me?

The problem with 2GB drives is their size :)). If you run FAT ( which
you must unless you run OS/2, NT, or an Un*x clone) the larger the
partition, the bigger the clusters, the more space each file takes, no
matter how small. If you did not partition it at all then I believe
the cluster size would be 8Kbytes, this means any file less than 8 K
will "use" 8K of disk space, and 8.5K file uses 16K.

If you partiton down you get lots of them, partitions, that is :) but
these can be more easily backed up ont a Jumbo or Tracker, simple tape
streamers using say DC2120 cartridges. Otherwise you are looking at
600 UKP for a SCSI DAT drive, overkill for you I would have thought.

} Question 4:
} I am totally undecided about Windows versus Windows95.
} Most of the Windows95 comments that I have seen have been about
} missing drivers but I assume that this is irrelevant to me since
} if you are supplying hardware then naturally all required drivers
} will be with it.  What are the significant things that would be good
} reasons for going to Windows95 or staying with Windows?

"Win95 = Look, You take DOS, you throw a really kick ass DOS extender
on it.  You throw Windows 3.1 multi-tasking on top of it, then a
virtual device driver layer, then a semi-protected mode overlay for
native apps. Then some hype and That's Win95."

IMHO Win95 is shit.

} Question 5:
} Can I install my IBM 4072 Execjet printer on the Platinum Triton SE
} and will it work OK under Windows95. I do little printing and am
} very happy with the quality of the print output of the Execjet.

Probably not. ( Microsoft are not that good at IBM42xx drivers)
At least you may get one to work but it may not keep all its features.

{R}