From: lewis@oasys.dt.navy.mil (William Lewis)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: What is your dream machine?
Date: 11 Jan 93 14:58:00 GMT
Reply-To: lewis@oasys.dt.navy.mil (William Lewis)
Organization: Carderock Division, NSWC, Bethesda, MD

In comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware, tn0s+@andrew.cmu.edu (Timothy L. Nali) writes:
>Now that I have the money to buy a "dream machine", I though I'd ask
>what you think the ultimate 486 system should be.  I'm rather new to
>buying "good" systems (I currently own a crappy 386-20), so I'd like to
>hear what motherboards/monitors/HD controllers/etc. are best.
>
>Thanks in advance.
>
>_____________________________________________________________________________
>
> Tim Nali            \  "We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of
> tn0s@andrew.cmu.edu  \   the dreams" -Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory


Oboy, just the kind of fun article to put my input into! All fluff.

My dream machine: 486dx/50 with at least two Local bus slots, One for
video, and one for a controller card or future application. ($900) I think
I'd still stick with IDE Drives at least one 210, maybe two (think dream),
or for that matter go with a couple of really big drives. $350 each.
I'd use an IDEcontroller card that had a cache with at least 4 Mb on it.
The card would have to be capable of controlling  2 IDE's and at least
2 floppy's (though 4 would be nice too) (Don't use a combo card HD controller
and I/O) (Promise card? under $200 plus memory)
Oh yea and don't forget to fill all the SIMM slots with 4 Mb SIMMs (60ns)
totalling out to 32 Mb. ($1000) I'd use a separate I/O card to control the
serial and parallel ports. One with at least a 16550a UART chip on it, but
removeable in case there's a future upgrade to it.  ($50-80)
I'd get a full size board with at least 10 slots (plus the 2 LB) and
put it in a full size tower case with easy access panels, 450W power
supply, Dual fans, 10 bays, and a CPU fan also. ($250+ for case)
The minimum Monitor would be either a MAG 17F or a Viewsonic 7 (17")
I might also consider going to the big sony (19"?) But I know for sure
that I like the above two. ($1100)
I'd use a focus or an omnikey key board, preferably the Omnikey. Reason:
Focus puts the top "F" keys in bunches of three unlike the Omni that
has the more standard groups of four. (standardized templates), But
they'd both have to have the dual Funtion key locations anyway, and
focus does have a template holder (for their templates). ($100-)
I'd also get a CD-ROM drive with a separate SCSI card to control it.
I would NOT get the soundblaster cd-rom setup. I don't like being locked
in to a proprietary system. ($400)
I'd also get a Tape backup system. ($300)
I'd put a CH automatic game card in for joystick ports ($50)
I'd get a Thrustmaster  FCS pro, WCS, and RCS  for flight sim games
(that's Flight Control System *pro* $150 *reg* $80, Weapons Control
System $80, and Rudder Control System $150), I might also get the CH
Virtual pilot (Wheel) $80
For sound I'd have both the Pro AudioSpectrum 16 (maybe the Gravis Ultra
sound, but I haven't tried one out yet) And a Roland MPU-401 hooked
into either an MT-32, or a CM-32L (MIDI).   (PAS $175-200, MIDI setup
$300-500 minimum)
Modems, How could I leave out modems, Dream Modem, a US robotics HST
Dual Standard. ($500-700). Capable of doing 14.4k on both the proprietary
USR link, and the CITT's. (External)

I think I've just about covered everything for now. You See I'm very
close to obtaining the dream system myself, I currently have, use, or will
be shortly getting alot of what I've already mentioned. If you've noticed,
I've kept almost all of the cards separate (as before mentioned). I'd
rather have more cards that each does their thing well, as opposed to
a single card that does alot of things bad, or even just ok.
Even still, It'll take me another year or so to have everything that
I want in a computer, and even then I won't have all the things I've
listed.

Enough Fluff for now.

Bill (lewis@oasys.dt.navy.mil)

Aproximate Total for above = $6800 (cheeep)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware