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From: ted@imsvax.UUCP (Ted Holden)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Many Questions/ some answers
Message-ID: <650@imsvax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 18-Dec-86 07:20:35 EST
Article-I.D.: imsvax.650
Posted: Thu Dec 18 07:20:35 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 18-Dec-86 22:41:23 EST
Organization: IMS Inc, Rockville MD
Lines: 116



Glenn Piper of Penn St. asks:

>I've been accumulating questions to post regarding a system I'd like to put
>together.  Some may be easy, others may not. This is cross-posted to a number
>of categories, but please respond to either comp.sys.ibm.pc , or directly to
>me ... FIB at PSUVM.


>1)  Is there any way to lock out users of an AT system from portions of a hard
>    disk?  I'd like two different groups of people to use it, but one group
>    has data that they would like to remain confidential. Can it be done in
>    software or hardware?

With high-speed AT compatibles down around $2000, including hard disk, these
days, why bother?  Far simpler just to buy two.

>2)  Has anybody had any experience (good or bad) with the Bernoulli Box?  My
>    understanding is that it acts like a hard disk, but is removable.  Is this
>    true?  If so, it may be the answer to the above data security problem.
>    Also, any details on its operation would be appreciated.  Since I may be
>    working with some good size files, how is access speed as compared to a
>    standard hard disk?

The Bernoulli box is essentially a type of floppy disk.  It has been
priced out of the real world for the last two years and now the cut-rate
houses are dumping them at half price.  There is a reason.  Look for
cheaper and better alternatives this coming year from Kodak as well as
several Japanese manufacturers.  Most interesting of the lot will be a
drive which writes 8 bits STRAIGHT DOWN THROUGH THE MEDIA, rather than
in a pattern across it as has always been the case heretofore.


>3)  I would like to begin Desktop Publishing.  I currently own a Xerox 4045
>    laser printer, but very few software packages support it.  Has anyone used
>    or read any reviews on Xerox's Ventura Publisher software?  Has anybody
>    used or seen any other packages that supports the Xerox 4045.  I was at an
>    Aldus Pagemaker demo last week and was very impressed...only thing is that
>    Aldus is in competition with Xerox in this field, and probably won't
>    support the Xerox 4045 for "QUITE SOME TIME."  Ventura looks like my best
>    bet right now, but I'd like some more input.

Look at two items lying slightly beyond the PC world before you decide.
One is the Xerox 6085, absolutely professional, DOS compatible, and made
to work with your 4045.  These run $7000-$13000 or so depending on
configuration.  The other is the little $200 package called "The Graphic
Artist" which runs on the Atari 520-1024 ST.  This is a totally stunning
WYSWYG word-processing, typesetting, and CAD/CAM package which can
produce really professional output from HP laserjets and acceptable
output for most uses from Epsons.  Businessmen are basically correct in
ignoring the Apple and Commadore 68000 products;  they ignore the Atari
product at their peril.

>4)  Is there any problem installing multiple hard disks on an AT system?
>

Heat, complexity, Murphy's 5'th law etc.  Again, why bother? 80 meg
disks for ATs can be had for $1200 or so, 300 meg Core disks for around
$3000.  Just buy one which is big enough in the first place.

>5)  What is the general consensus on mice?  What are the good and bad points
>    between BUS mice systems and Serial Port mice?  How about Mechanical v/s
>    optical?

If you have to have a mouse, get the optical kind.

>
>6)  I'm also taking recomendations on low/medium price Letter quality (18-24
>    pin) Dot Matrix Printers.  The only printers I've ever used have been
>    Epson... none of which have the quality I'm looking for.  Suggestions?

The Citizen SP and the Gemini NX series strike me as the best of the
lower priced Epson compatibles.  There is a free-ware package on the
BBSs called "NICE.ARC" which gives the best LQ printing I've seen so far
on dot matrix printers, better even than the native LQ modes.

>
>7)  Does anybody have any experience with using the AT as a remote S/36
>    workstation or up/downloading capability via communications software?
>    I'd like to hear anyone's experiences (harware/software) with this type
>    of application.

Once you've used an AT for about six months, you'd never want to dirty
your hands with a 36 again.  Simply as a functional computer, I wouldn't
trade my AT for a 36 even.  A good computer should be able to solve
differential equations, check your spelling for you, produce documents
in Cyrillic for your Russian class on Thursday, play chess within 50
points of master level at no more than a few seconds a move, compile
5000 line programs in 6 or seven seconds (Mystic Pascal).....  My AT can
do all of this.  Can your 36?

>8)  Finally, what are your feelings about the difference of buying a REAL
>    IBM-PC/AT v/s clones.  I've been looking at the PC-Limited AT's with
>    a lot of interest.  Does anybody have one that can tell me how they
>    perform?  If you're really against or for buying clones, tell me why.

The clones cost about half or a third what IBM's do and they (the
clones) don't break.  IBM must be wishing they'd never heard the words
"PC" or "micro-computer" along about now.  Without IBM's interference,
micros would never have achieved the standardization which is now
allowing them to challenge minis and mainframes.  And IBM?  They
invented the PC/DOS game and now they can't even play their own game
successfully and the game is threatening to destroy their big Fortune
500 mainframe business.  Kind of like letting the genie out of the
bottle.

The oldest baby-boomers, such as myself, have just now turned 40 or so,
and many will be getting into senior management positions soon.  I have
a fabulous idea as to a quest or a distinction which one lucky member of
this group might hope to attain.  Could you imagine being able to tell
your grandchildren that YOU were the first person to ever FIRE someone
for buying IBM equipment?

Ted Holden,
IMS