🚀 go-pugleaf

	I know I'm gonna regret asking these questions because I'll 
get TONS of mail.  So please don't respond unless you are apretty good
authority on the question.  (ie  If ya own one answer, but I don't want
any replies starting with "I remember hearing" or "My cousin says".)
When and if you do reply, preceed the answer with the corresponding
question number.

Intro: I'm thinking of buying an IBM PC or similar machine.  I plan
	on doing all the normal home-computer stuff on it: word proc.,
	spread sheet, games, terminal emulation, application programs...
	but nothing TOO out of the ordinary.

1. What's the diffs between the PC, PC jr., AT, and XT?
2. How compatible is an IBM look-alike have to be before it can claim
   to be "100% compatible"
	2a. Does that mean I can put in all the extra boards on the market
	    and have them work.
	2b. Can I hook up IBM peripherals and have them work?
	    This includes printers, disks, and color monitors.
3. What should I get?  Don't tell me, let me guess..."That depends on
   what you're gonna use it for."  What I mean is what should I get to 
   be able to run a pretty good majority (>=80%) of the commercial
   software used by most IBM PC owners.
	3a. Is a color monitor worth the price?  I like color, but if
	    I have only 1 or 2 programs that use it, it wouldn't be 
	    worth the trouble.
	3b. Just what 'extra boards' are there availible?  Which ones
	    are worth the time and effort?
	3c. Am I severely limiting myself if I don't get extra memory?
	3d. What about disk drives?
4. DAK (a company that specializes in buying up discontinued products in
   bulk and selling them) advertised an PC clone which is "100% compatible"
   with a 20M? hard disk and 2? floppy drives and a sh*tload of memory
   all for a mere $1699.  I called our bookstore, which sells PC's, (with 
   the catalog in-hand so I could quote the advertised numbers) and they
   said that a comparable IBM system goes for ~$4100.  "GREAT!" I thought.
   But then I thought, "TOO great."  One thing I see that is wrong with
   the DAK deal is that after the first 30 days I'm out in the cold
   service-wise.  Is this something to worry about?
	4a. How often do PC's go to the shop?
	4b. Should a reasonably smart guy (me) be able to fix the
	    most frequently occurring problems? 
		4bi. Do schematics (or the like) come with most PC's?
		4bii. What ARE the most frequent problems?
	4c. Has anyone had good/bad experiences with DAK merchandise?
	4d. Has anyone had good/bad experiences with Olivetti (the
	    original maker) products?
	4e. Does anyone who has a pretty good knowledge of the REAL
	    IBM have a reasonable chance to fix an ailing Olivetti?
	4f. What are the chances that I'd be just throwing my 1700
	    away on a machine that will last 31 days.
5. What software should I get?  How do WordStar, CalcStar, Lotus 1-2-3, 
   MailStar (or whatever the 'Star' mailer is named), etc. stack up
   against the competition?

Don't feel you have to know all the answers to respond to just one.  If
you want you can send answers to, say, just 3a and 4bi.  But as I said
before, don't waste my time and your's by responding just to hit 'r'.

					>>--Ryan McGuire-->