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From: res1@mhuxu.UUCP (Rick Stealey)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: XT Clones:  What's the best?
Message-ID: <6640@mhuxu.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 21-Jul-87 17:01:21 EDT
Article-I.D.: mhuxu.6640
Posted: Tue Jul 21 17:01:21 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 23-Jul-87 07:09:59 EDT
References: <64@sickkids.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 43
Summary: Doesn't matter much

> I would like information about the multitude of brands available, and
> comments on their strong/weak points (i.e. avoid Fred's XT Clone
> because the hard disk controller craps out too much).  Are there any
> brands I should avoid?  Any considered better-than-average?  Any
> advantages to buying the original IBM?

I purchased an XT clone this year (Fountain).  It is equipped in a very
straightforward fashion:

2 floppy drives
640 K on the motherboard
multi I/O card (2 floppy controllers,game port, 2 serial ports, 1 par port,
                 and a clock)
Color graphics card which provides for RGB color and approximately 400 x 200
	line text resolution
Enhanced AT keyboard (with separate number pad and cursor keys)

The computer is a Fountain.  What does that mean?  Nothing at all except
some sort of dealer network with some possible value in terms of the guarantee.
Every single item mentioned above, except for the drives HAS NO NAME ON IT
AT ALL.  This means every item is generic, they are packed in a brown box
with the only label being "Made in Taiwan, R.O.C."  The construction of
the modules is outstanding.  The boards are beautifully built, and the 
quality appears to be impeccable.  

What type of XT clone to buy?  I don't think it makes any difference at all.
I have seen Fountains, Beltrons, etc. sitting right next to clones with
no label on the front panel at all and they are assembled with the identical 
modules.  The computer takes on some identity after it is assembled and
a nameplate is stuck on the front panel.  

I have studied prices of cards and modules vs completed systems from the
same dealer and concluded that there is no difference in the "system" prices.
Therefore, my advice is to buy a clone from a dealer who is competitive
in price, will stand behind the product in case a warranty replacement
is required, and has the stuff in stock.  To plug my dealer, that is
MIT Computers in Pennsauken, NJ.  

Good luck.

-- 
Rick Stealey
{ihnp4}!mhuxu!res1