IBM TECHNOLOGY The most popular microcomputers are made by IBM and imitators. How IBM arose IBM bases its entire marketing strategy on one word: react. IBM never creates a new kind of computer; instead, IBM watches its competitors' products, notices which ones sell well, and then designs a product that meets the same needs better. Even IBM's own name is a reaction. IBM was started by Tom Watson. He'd been a salesman for National Cash Register (NCR) but was fired, so he took over a competing company (CTR) and vowed to make it even bigger than National Cash Register. To be bigger than ``National'', he called his company ``International''; to be bigger than a ``Cash Register'' company, he bragged that his company would sell all kinds of ``Business Machines''. That's how the name ``International Business Machine Corp.'' ___ IBM ___ was hatched. IBM quickly outgrew NCR. IBM sold lots of business machines, especially to the U.S. Census Bureau. But in 1951, Remington Rand Corp. (which later merged with Sperry) developed the Univac computer and convinced the Census to use it instead of IBM's non-computerized equipment. To react, IBM quickly invented its own computers, which were more practical than the Univac. IBM quickly became the #1 computer company ___ and Sperry's Univac dropped to #2. All of IBM's early computers were large. IBM ignored the whole concept of microcomputers for many years. IBM's first microcomputers, the IBM 5100 and IBM System 23, weren't taken seriously ___ not even by IBM. IBM PC When lots of IBM's customers began buying Apple 2 microcomputers to do Visicalc spreadsheets, IBM reacted by developing an improved microcomputer, called the IBM Personal Computer (IBM PC), which did everything that Apple 2 computers could do, but better. To invent the IBM PC, IBM created three secret research teams who competed against each other. The winner was the research team headed by Philip ``Don'' Estridge in Boca Raton, Florida. His team examined everything created by the other microcomputer companies (Apple, Radio Shack, Commodore, etc.) and combined their best ideas, to produce a relatively low-cost computer better than all competitors. Don's team developed the IBM PC secretly. IBM didn't announce it to the public until August 12, 1981. The IBM PC was a smashing success: IBM quickly became the #1 microcomputer company ___ and Apple dropped to #2. The IBM PC became the best-selling microcomputer for business. More high-quality business programs became available for the IBM PC than for any other microcomputer. It became the standard against which all other microcomputers were compared. Even today, to use the best business programs you must buy an IBM PC or clone. The IBM PC consists of three parts: a system unit (which contains most of the circuitry), a keyboard, and a monitor. Wires run from the keyboard and monitor to the system unit. Keyboard The IBM PC's keyboard contains 83 keys, as follows. . . . 26 keys contain the letters of the alphabet. 10 keys (in the top row) contain the digits. 10 keys (on the keyboard's right side) form a numeric keypad. It contains the digits rearranged to imitate a calculator. 13 keys contain symbols for math and punctuation. 14 keys give you control. They let you edit your mistakes, create blank spaces and capitals, etc. 10 function keys (labeled F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6, F7, F8, F9, and F10) can be programmed to mean whatever you wish! The keyboard was designed by Don Estridge personally. To fit all those keys on the small keyboard, he had to make the RETURN and SHIFT keys smaller than typists liked. Above the top row of keys, he put a shelf to hold pencils; to make room for that shelf, he had to put the 10 function keys at the left side of the keyboard, even though it would have been more natural to put the F1 key near the 1 key, the F2 key near the 2 key, etc. System unit The IBM PC's system unit contains a 63«-watt power supply (which transforms AC current to DC) and a motherboard. On the motherboard, IBM puts the CPU, RAM chips, ROM chips, and support chips. The motherboard also includes 5 slots that hold printed-circuit cards. The motherboard's 62 wires that run to and through the slots are called the bus. 8 of those wires carry data; the other 54 wires are ``bureaucratic overhead'' that helps control the flow. Since just eight wires carry data, the bus is called an 8-bit data bus, its slots are called 8-bit slots, and the printed-circuit cards that you put into the slots are called 8-bit cards. The CPU, which is on the motherboard, is an Intel 8088 running at a speed of 4.77 million cycles per second (4.77 megahertz). In the original IBM PC, the motherboard could hold 4 rows of 16K RAM chips. 1 row of chips was included in the base price; the other 3 rows of chips cost extra. If you paid the extra cost and got all 4 rows of chips, you had a total of 64K. Later, IBM improved the motherboard, so that it uses 64K chips instead of 16K chips. The 4 rows of 64K chips produce a grand total of 256K. To expand beyond 256K, you must buy a memory card, which contains sockets for holding extra RAM chips. The motherboard contains five 8K ROM chips. One of them contains the BIOS; the other four contain BASIC. The motherboard includes a hookup to your home's cassette tape recorder, to make the tape recorder imitate a slow disk drive. For faster speed, you must buy a disk drive (which costs extra), and a controller card to connect the disk drive to. The original IBM PC was limited to two 5¬-inch disk drives, and each disk held just 160K. Later, IBM improved the disk system, so that each disk could hold 360K. (To make the improvement, IBM switched to double-sided disks and divided each track into 9 sectors instead of 8.) Monitor The IBM PC's base price doesn't include a monitor ___ or even a video card to attach the monitor to. When IBM announced the IBM PC, it announced two kinds of video cards. One kind, the Monochrome Display Adapter (MDA), attaches to a TTL monochrome monitor. The other kind, the Color/Graphics Adapter (CGA), attaches to an RGB color monitor instead. Each of those cards gives you a hidden bonus. Hiding on the MDA card is a printer port, so you can attach a printer. Hiding on the CGA card is an RCA jack, so you can attach a composite color monitor or a TV switch box. Why the IBM PC became popular To invent the IBM PC, IBM combined all the best ideas that other computer companies had invented previously. IBM did it all legally: IBM found the best hardware and software companies and paid them manufacturing fees and royalties. IBM listened well: IBM put into the IBM PC all the inexpensive features that business users were begging computer companies to provide. IBM had originally planned to charge a high price for the IBM PC; but in August 1981, a week before IBM announced the IBM PC to the world, IBM's top management decided to slash the prices by 25%. So the IBM PC was not only nice but also priced 25% less than the rumor mill had expected. Customers were thrilled and bought IBM PC's quickly. At first, very few programs were available for it, but IBM turned that liability into a virtue: IBM ran ads telling programmers that since IBM hadn't written enough programs for the PC, programmers could get rich by writing their own. Because of those ads, many programmers bought the PC and wrote thousands of programs for it. All those programs eventually increased the computer's popularity even further. IBM PC XT & clones In March 1983, IBM announced the IBM PC eXTended (IBM PC XT). It resembles the IBM PC but includes a larger power supply (135 watts instead of 63«) and more expansion slots (8 instead of 5). The larger power supply allows the XT to handle a hard disk. When IBM began selling the XT, IBM included a floppy disk drive, a 10-megabyte 85-millisecond hard disk, and serial port in the base price, but IBM later made them optional. Many companies sell XT clones. The typical XT clone is better than the original XT in several ways. . . . Keyboard Most clones have extra-large RETURN and SHIFT keys, so your fingers can hit those keys more easily. Power supply In most clones, the power supply is extra-large (150 watts instead of 135). CPU Instead of using an 8088 CPU, most clones use an 8088-1 CPU, which thinks twice as fast (10 megahertz instead of 4.77). Clones using that double-speed CPU are called turbo XT clones. Memory DOS easily handles 640K of RAM and a 30-megabyte hard disk. (To go beyond those limits, you must use tricks.) The typical clone attains those limits: its motherboard contains 640K of RAM, and its hard disk holds 30 megabytes. IBM's XT disk holds only a third as much. Moreover, the typical clone's hard disk is quicker: its average seek time is 65 milliseconds instead of 85. Monitor A company called Hercules invented a video card that improves on IBM's MDA card. Like the MDA card, the Hercules card produces pretty characters on a TTL monochrome monitor and includes a parallel printer port. The Hercules card has this advantage: it can generate graphics. Several companies make video cards imitating the Hercules card. Those imitations are called Hercules-compatible graphics cards. The typical XT clone includes a TTL monochrome monitor attached to a Hercules-compatible graphics card. IBM PC AT & clones In August 1984, IBM announced the IBM PC with Advanced Technology (IBM PC AT). It runs several times as fast as the XT because it contains a faster CPU and disk drives. Other companies have developed AT clones that go even faster. CPU The CPU is an Intel 80286, which beats the 8088 by performing more cycles per second and also processing about 3 times as much information per cycle. In IBM's original version of the AT, the 80286 CPU performed 6 million cycles per second (6 megahertz). In 1986, IBM switched to a faster 80286 that runs at 8 megahertz. Clones go even faster: 12 megahertz! Bus The bus is 16-bit. That bus is called the AT bus or the Industry Standard Architecture bus (ISA bus). Into its 16-bit slots, you can put 16-bit cards or old XT-style 8-bit cards. Hard drives The AT handles faster hard drives than the XT. IBM's original hard drive for the AT had a 40-millisecond average seek time and held 20 megabytes. That drive, built for IBM by a company called CMI, was unreliable. IBM eventually switched to a different supplier, and CMI went bankrupt. Today's clones contain reliable drives that go even faster (28 milliseconds) and hold even more (40 megabytes and beyond). Floppy drives The AT's floppy drive squeezes 1.2 megabytes onto high-density 5¬-inch floppy disks. That drive can also read the 360K disks created by XT computers, but it cannot reliably create a 360K disk to send to an XT computer. The typical computerist puts two floppy drives into the AT. The first drive deals mainly with 1.2 megabyte disks. The other drive is an XT-style 360K drive, which sits in the AT just to communicate to XT computers. Keyboard The AT's original keyboard had 84 keys. Typists liked it better than the PC and XT keyboards, because it had larger RETURN and SHIFT keys. In 1986, IBM switched to a larger keyboard having 101 keys. Its function keys (F1, F2, etc.) were in the top row (near the pencil ledge) instead of at the left. Main power supply The AT's main power supply is 192 watts. Clones use power supplies that are slightly larger (200 watts). SETUP When you first buy an AT, you (or your dealer) must run the SETUP program, which comes on a disk or in a ROM chip. That program makes the AT ask you how much RAM you bought, which monitor and disk drives you bought, and whether you bought a math coprocessor. The AT copies your answers into a CMOS RAM chip, powered by a battery sitting in a holder just left of the main power supply. Even when you turn off the computer's main power switch, the CMOS RAM chip keeps remembering your answers ___ until its battery runs out after 4 years (or 1 year in some clones). Then the computer displays the wrong date and time and won't let you use the hard disk ___ until you run the SETUP program again, preferably with a fresh battery. Improved graphics & PS/2 In September 1984, IBM announced an improved color video system. It consists of a video card called the Enhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA) and a compatible color monitor (called an EGA monitor). You can put an EGA card into the IBM PC, IBM PC XT, or IBM PC AT. The EGA system is better than CGA, because EGA can display more colors and finer resolution (more dots per inch), and EGA obeys the computer's commands faster. At the same time, IBM announced an even fancier video system, called the Professional Graphics Controller (PGC), but it was too expensive to be popular. On April 2, 1987, IBM announced a whole new series of computers, called the Personal System 2 (PS/2), which ran the same programs as the PC but added better graphics. Shortly afterwards, IBM stopped manufacturing its old classic computers (the IBM PC, IBM PC XT, and IBM PC AT). The classic computers used 5¬-inch floppy disks. The PS/2 computers use 3«-inch floppy disks instead, which take up less space on your desk, are sturdier, hold more bytes per square inch, and consume less electricity. Different models The cheapest PS/2 computer is called the PS/2 model 25. The most expensive PS/2 computer is called the PS/2 model 95. Between those models ___ the 25 and the 95 ___ you can choose many others. By June 1991, IBM had invented these models: Models CPU Bus Style Video Floppy 25, 30 8086XT desktopMCGA 720K 25/286, 30/286286ATdesktopVGA1440K 50, 50Z 286 MCA desktopVGA 1440K 60 286 MCA tower VGA 1440K 35, 40 386SXAT desktopVGA 1440K L40 386SXAT notebookVGA 1440K 55 386SXMCAdesktopVGA 1440K 57 386SXMCAdesktopVGA 2880K 65 386SXMCAtower VGA 1440K 70 386DXMCAdesktopVGA 1440K P70 386DXMCAluggableVGA 1440K 80 386DXMCAtower VGA 1440K P75 486 MCA luggableXGA 1440K 90 486 MCA desktopXGA 1440K 95 486 MCA tower XGA 1440K Towers of power The model 95 is a tower that gets erected on the floor underneath your desk. It's one of IBM's biggest erections. Its electrical juices surge through the cables that run from the tower up to the monitor and keyboard. Since it can service more add-on printed-circuit cards than the model 90 (which is a desktop), computerists call the model 95 an expandable version of the model 90. Ooh, how you'll love the expansion! That's why it's nicknamed the ``stud''. The model 80 is a tower version of the model 70. The model 60 is a tower version of the model 50. The 65 is a tower version of the 55. Model 50Z The model 50Z contains faster RAM chips than the model 50, so that the model 50Z's CPU never has to wait for the RAM chips to catch up. The ``Z'' stands for ``zero wait states''. Floppy drive In models containing an 8086 CPU, the 3«-inch floppy drive is double-density (DD), so it puts 720K on a disk. In most other models, the 3«-inch floppy drive is high-density (HD), so it puts 1440K on a disk. The model 57 contains an experimental 3«-inch floppy drive that's extra-high density (ED), so it puts 2880K on a disk. Bus The models containing an 8086 CPU use the same 8-bit bus as the old IBM PC and IBM PC XT. All other under-50 models use the IBM PC AT 16-bit bus. Models 50 and up contain a new style of bus, called the Micro Channel, using a technology called Micro Channel Architecture (MCA). The Micro Channel transmits data faster than the old bus. It includes 16-bit and 32-bit slots. Unfortunately, the Micro Channel's 16-bit slots are a different size than the 16-bit slots in the IBM PC AT; you cannot put an IBM PC, XT, or AT card into a Micro Channel slot. IBM holds a patent on the Micro Channel bus. Clone companies that copy the Micro Channel bus pay IBM a licensing fee. Other clone companies use the AT bus (ISA bus) instead, or a new 32-bit version of it (the Extended ISA bus, which is called the EISA bus, pronounced ``ees uh bus''), or an even faster 32-bit version (the Video Electronics Standards Association local bus, which is called the VESA local bus or VL bus), or the fastest version (the Peripheral Component Interconnect bus, which is called the PCI bus and used mainly in computers containing a Pentium CPU). MCGA The models containing an 8086 CPU also contain a chip called the Multi-Color Graphics Array (MCGA), which produces nice graphics. According to the laws of physics, all colors can be created by mixing red, green, and blue light in various proportions. The MCGA lets you create your own color by mixing an amount of red from 0 to 63, an amount of green from 0 to 63, and an amount of blue from 0 to 63; so altogether, the number of possible colors you can create is ``64 times 64 times 64'', which is 262,144. After you create your favorite colors, the computer will let you display 256 of them on the screen simultaneously. To position those colors on the screen, you use a coordinate system permitting an X value from 0 to 319 and a Y value from 0 to 199. If you're willing to use just 2 colors instead of 256, the computer will let you do higher-resolution drawing, in which the X value goes from 0 to 639 (so you have 640 choices) and the Y value goes from 0 to 479 (so you have 480 choices). That's called 640-by-480 resolution. VGA The models containing a 286 or 386 CPU contain a fancier graphics chip, called the Video Graphics Array (VGA). Its 256-color mode is the same as MCGA's, but its high-resolution mode permits 16 colors instead of 2. IBM's competitors sell clones whose graphics are even better than VGA! Besides giving you VGA's high resolution of 640-by-480, they give you an even higher resolution of 800-by-600 (called 800 VGA or VGA Plus) and an even higher resolution of 1024-by-768 (called 1024 VGA or Super VGA or SVGA). The fanciest clones give you a resolution of 1280-by-1024 (called 1280 VGA or sometimes Super-Duper VGA). Instead of giving you 262,144 colors, the fanciest clones give you 16,777,216 colors (by letting the red, green, and blue each range up to 255 instead of 63). Since 16,777,216 colors are even more than the human eye can distinguish, clones that have 16,777,216 colors are said to have true color. They're also said to have 24-bit color (because to distinguish among 16,777,216 colors, the computer must store each color as a 24-bit number). If you buy a clone containing one of those souped-up VGA systems, make sure the VGA card contains 512K or 1M or 2M of video RAM instead of just 256K. You need that extra RAM to get lots of colors at the super-high resolutions: Video RAMHow many colors you can see simultaneously 256K 256 colors at 640x400; 16 colors at 800x600; 2 colors at 1280x1024 512K 256 colors at 640x480; 16 colors at 1024x768; 2 colors at 1280x1024 1M 16,777,216 colors at 640x480; 65,536 at 800x600; 256 at 1024x768; 16 at 1280x1024 2M 16,777,216 colors at 800x600; 65,536 at 1024x768; 256 at 1280x1024 Make sure the VGA card is 16-bit instead of 8-bit, so it can accept 16 bits of information at once. Then it can handle all those colors and dots quickly! If the video is 1024x768 or 1280x1024, make sure it's non-interlaced (NI). If it's interlaced (I), it will flicker annoyingly when used at high resolution. When buying a color monitor for VGA (or VGA Plus or Super VGA), make sure the monitor's dot pitch (distance between adjacent dots) is small: no bigger than .31 millimeters. If the dot pitch is bigger than .31 millimeters, the image on the screen is too blurry. Most monitors have a dot pitch of .28 millimeters, which is good; bad monitors have a dot pitch of .39, .41, or .52 millimeters. Since VGA is so wonderful, practically everybody who buys an IBM clone orders VGA. VGA's popularity led VGA monitors and cards to be mass-produced on gigantic assembly lines, which dropped VGA's price even lower than EGA's. Since VGA is now cheaper and better than EGA, nobody buys EGA monitors or cards anymore (except people repairing old EGA systems). XGA The PS/2 models having a 486 CPU contain a fancy graphics chip called the eXtended Graphics Array (XGA). It resembles 1024-by-768 Super VGA. Price The price of each PS/2 depends on how much RAM you buy, what size hard disk you buy, and what kind of monitor you buy. (If you can't afford a color monitor, buy a gray-scale monitor that shows shades of gray instead. The shades of gray crudely imitate the color graphics you'd get from MCGA, VGA, or XGA.) If somebody offers you a ``complete PS/2 system'' cheaply, check whether that ``complete'' price includes the monitor. Usually it doesn't! Cheaper than PS/2 The PS/2 computers were too expensive. In 1990, IBM invented a cheaper series of computers, called the PS/1. In 1992, IBM invented an even cheaper series, called the PS/Valuepoint (which you can buy in stores or by phoning IBM directly at 800-IBM-2YOU). Ambra In 1993, IBM invented an even cheaper series, called the Ambra, which IBM sells just by mail. If you want to get it, phone the Ambra Computer Corporation (owned by IBM) at 800-25-AMBRA. (Canadians call 800-363-0066.) Here are some Ambra computers: Main CPU RAM Hard driveVideoBusExtras Price 486SX-33 4M270M 14" 1MVESA $1369 486DX2-66 4M270M 14" 1MVESA $1519 486DX2-66 8M270M 15" 1MVESA $1699 486DX2-66 8M420M 15" 1MVESA $1959 486DX2-66 8M540M 15" 1MVESACD-ROM, sound, Borland Office$2499 Pentium-60 8M720M 15" 2MPCI CD-ROM $2599 Pentium-90 8M720M 15" 2MPCI CD-ROM $2999 Pentium-9016M720M 15" 2MPCI CD-ROM, Borland Office$3598 Those were Ambra's prices when this book went to press in July, 1994. Since prices drop continually, you'll pay less. (Computer prices drop about 3% per month, 30% per year.) Each price in that chart includes a desktop computer with keyboard, RAM, 3«-inch high-density floppy drive (so it holds 1440K, which is 1.44M), hard drive, Super VGA color monitor, MS-DOS, Windows, and mouse. The video card contains 1M of RAM for 486 computers, 2M for Pentium computers. When that chart says CD-ROM, you get a CD-ROM drive that's fast (double-spin). When that chart says sound, you get a sound card and a pair of stereo speakers. When that chart says Borland Office, you get software that includes a word-processing program (Word Perfect for Windows), a database program (Paradox for Windows), and a spreadsheet program (Quattro Pro for Windows). Service You get a 30-day money-back guarantee. You get free technical help by phone, around-the-clock (24 hours). You get 1 year of on-site service: during the first year, if you need a repair, you don't have to mail your computer to IBM; instead, one of IBM's 10,000 repairmen will come to your house and fix the computer, free! Though IBM generally has a good reputation, the Ambra division is new, understaffed, and confused. Many Ambra customers complain of long delays in receiving shipments and getting service. IBM's flops Some of your friends might still own IBM's other microcomputers, which were less successful. IBM's PC Junior was intended for schoolkids. It had pretty graphics and a low price; but its add-ons were too expensive, its keyboard was awkward, and its circuitry differed enough from the original PC so the Junior refused to run some of the PC's programs. IBM's PC Portable was a luggable inspired by Compaq but didn't include enough expansion slots. After IBM invented the 8-megahertz AT, IBM had too many 6-megahertz and XT parts left in its warehouse. To use up those old parts, IBM created the XT/286, which contained a 6-megahertz AT CPU attached to an XT disk drive. The XT/286 was as unpopular as its parts. IBM's RS/6000 is a high-priced microcomputer that runs super-fast but can't run standard IBM PC software. What happened to Don? Although Don Estridge became popular for inventing the IBM PC and XT, his next two projects disappointed IBM: the PC Junior didn't sell well, and the AT's CMI hard drive was unreliable. His bosses kicked him out of the Boca Raton research office and hid him in an obscure part of the company. A few months later, when he flew on a Delta jet, the jet crashed and killed him. HOW CLONES ARE PRICED Instead of buying from IBM, save money! Buy a clone instead! Here's how most clones are priced. (I'll show you the prices that were in effect when this book went to press in July, 1994. Prices drop 3% per month, 30% per year.) $1000 gets you a ``standard'' clone. If you pay more than $1000, you get a clone that's fancier; if you pay less than $1000, you get a clone that's crummier. Here are the details. (I've rounded all prices to the nearest $25.) CPU The standard clone's CPU is a 486SX-33. If you want a faster CPU instead, you must pay a surcharge: CPU Surcharge 486SX-33 $0 486DX-33 $125 486DX2-50 $150 486DX2-66 $200 486DX4-75 $300 486DX4-100$500 Pentium-60$600 Pentium-66$700 Pentium-90$900 The 486SX-33 is okay. If you need a math coprocessor (because you're doing heavy work in graphics or scientific calculations), you must buy a DX, DX2, DX4, or Pentium. Since the DX4 and Pentium are ridiculously expensive, few people buy them, and so the 486DX2-66 is the fastest CPU that's reasonably priced. Deduct $25 if you're willing to accept a slower kind of chip, such as a 486SX-25 or a Cyrix 486SLC-33. Certain chips don't make much sense anymore: Don't buy a 486DX-33.Buy a 486DX2-50 instead, which is much faster but costs just $25 more. Don't buy a 486DX4-75.Buy a 486DX2-66 instead, which is almost as fast but costs $100 less. Don't buy a Pentium-66.Buy a Pentium-60 instead, which is almost as fast but costs $100 less. If the CPU is a 486DX or 486DX2 or 486DX4, it should come with at least 128K of static RAM cache, or else deduct $25 as a penalty! If the CPU is a Pentium, it should come with at least 256K of static RAM cache (or else deduct $25). If the CPU is a Pentium, it should come with the PCI local bus (or else deduct $75). If the CPU is a 486, it normally comes with the VESA local bus: add $75 for PCI local bus; deduct $25 for a bus that's neither VESA nor PCI. RAM The standard clone's RAM is 4M. If you want 8M instead, add $175. If you want 16M instead, add $525. (If you want just 2M, deduct $75. If you want just 1M, deduct $125.) You need at least 4M to run Windows well. If you're not using Windows, you can get by with less (2M or 1M). Up through the end of 1993, 4M was enough for most purposes; that's what most folks bought. But at the beginning of 1994, the world changed: the Windows programs popular since the beginning of 1994 (such as Microsoft Word 6 and Word Perfect 6) are memory hogs that require 8M to run well. So to run the newest Windows programs well, buy 8M of RAM. Buy 16M just if your computer is manipulating large, complex pictures and photos, or if your computer is acting as a server (whose disk drive is being shared by many other computers in a network). Hard drive The standard clone's hard drive is 210M. Add $25 for 270M, $50 for 340M, $100 for 420M, $175 for 540M. If you're willing to use a hard drive that's just 170M, deduct $25. Although 210M is enough for most purposes, you should get a 420M drive, since it costs just $100 more and holds twice as much. Floppy drives The standard clone includes a high-density floppy drive (3«-inch). If you want a pair of high-density floppy drives (3«-inch and also 5¬-inch), add $50. Most new software comes on 3«-inch floppies. Buy a 5¬-inch drive just if you need to use old software or to exchange data with old computers. Video The standard clone includes a color monitor that's 14-inch. Add $100 for 15-inch, $400 for 17-inch. Most people buy 14-inch. 15-inch shows the same info but slightly magnified, so you can read ``the fine print'' on the screen more easily. 17-inch is big enough to show an entire typewritten page on the screen readably but costs more than most folks can afford. If the color monitor is 14-inch, its resolution should be at least 1024x768, and it should be non-interlaced at that resolution (or deduct $25). Its dot pitch should be no more than .28 millimeters (or deduct $25). The video card should have at least 1M of RAM on it (or deduct $25). The video card should be windows-accelerated or local-bus (or deduct $25). Case The standard clone comes in a desktop case. If you want a tower case instead, add $50. The tower case has just two advantages: it can hold extra cards (but you probably won't buy any!) and it can sit on the floor (so your desk is uncluttered and your monitor sits low enough to be seen without craning your neck up). Other hardware The standard clone's price includes a keyboard and mouse. Add $150 for a double-speed CD-ROM drive, $75 for a sound card, $25 for a pair of stereo speakers, $50 for a slow fax/modem card (2400-baud modem), $100 for a fast fax/modem card (14400-baud modem). Software The standard clone includes MS-DOS and Windows, with manuals. Deduct $50 if DOS or its manual is missing. Deduct $50 if Windows or its manual is missing. Add $25 if the price includes Windows for Workgroups instead of just Windows. Add $25 for Quicken, $50 for Microsoft Works, $50 for Microsoft Encarta, $100 for Microsoft Word, $100 for Ami Pro. Those prices are what big clone makers add in for software that comes with the computer. If instead you buy the software separately later, you'll pay much more! Guarantees The standard clone comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, a 1-year warranty, and lifetime toll-free tech support. Deduct $50 if the money-back guarantee is missing or shorter than 30 days, or if you get charged a ``restocking fee'' for returning the computer. Deduct $50 if the warranty is less than 1-year or if the tech support is not toll-free. Add $50 if the warranty is 3-year instead of 1-year. Add just $25 if the warranty is 3-year on most of the system but just 1-year on the monitor. That's called a 3/1-year warranty. Kinds of clones You've seen that a standard clone costs just $1000. But a fancy clone includes extras that raise the total cost to over $2000; a luxury clone includes extras raising the total cost to nearly $4000. Here's how: Standard Feature clone Fancy clone Luxury clone CPU 486SX-33486DX2-66($200 extra)Pentium-90($900 extra) RAM 4M 8M ($175 extra)16M ($525 extra) hard drive 210M420M ($100 extra)540M ($175 extra) floppy drives 3«-inch3«-inch( $0 extra)3«-inch & 5¬( $50 extra) monitor 14-inch15-inch($100 extra)17-inch($400 extra) case desktoptower( $50 extra)tower ( $50 extra) CD-ROM drive noneone ($150 extra)one ($150 extra) sound card noneone ( $75 extra)one ( $75 extra) stereo speakers noneone pair( $25 extra)one pair( $25 extra) fax/modem none 14400-baud($100 extra)14400-baud($100 extra) applications noneEncarta( $50 extra)Encarta&Word($150 extra) warranty 1-year3/1-year( $25 extra)3-year( $50 extra) TOTAL $1000 $1000 + $1050 extra = $2050$1000+$2675extra =$3650 Those prices do not include a printer, which is priced separately. Notebooks are pricey The first rule about buying a notebook (or laptop) computer is: don't buy one unless you must! Try buying a desktop computer instead! Though notebook computers are portable and cute, you pay a lot for portable cuteness. For example, suppose you want a computer containing a 486SX-33 with 4M RAM, 210M hard drive, 1 floppy drive, color screen, DOS, Windows, and mouse (or trackball). To get a desktop computer containing all that, you pay about $1000; to get a notebook computer containing all that, you must pay about $1900 instead. Suppose you're rich enough to afford $1900. Does that mean you should buy a notebook computer? No! Here's what $1900 gets you. . . . $1900 notebook: 486SX-33, 4M RAM, 210M drive, 1 floppy, 640x480 color $1900 desktop: 486DX2-66, 8M RAM, 420M drive, 1 floppy, 1024x768 color, CD-ROM, sound Desktop computers give you much more equipment per dollar than notebook computers. Here's what $1000 gets you. . . . $1000 desktop: 486SX-33, 4M RAM, 210M hard drive, 1 floppy, 1024x768 color $1000 notebook: 486SX-25, 4M RAM, 120M hard drive, 1 floppy, 640x480 gray-scale So don't buy a notebook unless you must. If you need to use a computer in two locations, don't buy a notebook: buy two desktop computers instead! Buying two desktop computers costs just slightly more than buying one notebook. Or buy a desktop computer that's light enough to carry to your car easily. Buy a notebook computer just if you need to travel to many locations often, or if you're a student or researcher who needs to take notes in a lecture or library. FAMOUS CLONES Here's quick advice about which clone to buy: Kind of computerCompany to buy fromPhone cheap desktop (under $1900)VTech800-Bug-Expo or 708-540-8086 fancier desktop (over $1900)Quantex800-760-9001 or 908-563-4166 cheap notebook (under $1200)VTech800-Bug-Expo or 708-540-8086 fancier notebook (over $1200)Midwest Micro800-572-8844 or 513-368-2309 I picked those companies (VTech, Quantex, and Midwest Micro) because they make high-quality clones, sell them at low prices, offer decent service & support, and most folks I've sent to those companies have been thrilled. To make sure, I've spent my own money on those computers and analyzed comments from other reviewers. Though I recommended those companies when this book went to press in July 1994, my advice changes weekly because the computer industry continually changes: new technology gets invented, prices fall, and company reputations bob up and down crazily as old problems get fixed and new problems surface. Before buying, phone me at 617-666-2666 to get my newest advice, free. (To have fun, phone me each week to see how my advice keeps changing.) If you tell me your personal needs, I'll try to suggest another company or computer that most closely matches you. Before phoning me, become a knowledgeable consumer by reading the following juicy details about famous clones. . . . Chinese mail-order giants Of all the companies that make clones, the ones I most frequently recommend are Quantex and VTech. Both companies are big, reputable, advertise mainly in Computer Shopper magazine, and are owned by the Chinese, though the employees you'll talk to are American. Who is Quantex? Quantex is owned secretly by Fountain, which is based in Taiwan. Quantex buys its cases and motherboards from Fountain. Fountain's American sales office is in New Jersey, and so is Quantex. Quantex is at 2 Tower Center Boulevard (10th Floor), East Brunswick NJ 08816 and is headed by Michael Polissky (the Vice President of Direct Marketing). To reach Quantex, phone 800-760-9001 (or 908-563-4166). Sales hours are Monday-Thursday 9AM-9PM, Friday 9AM-6PM, Eastern Time. Who is VTech? VTech is based in Hong Kong. It's huge, with 11,000 employees! VTech has also called itself Video Technology, Video Tech, Expo Tech, Laser Computers, and Leading Technology but now calls itself just Vtech again. It used to own a famous software company, Central Point Software (which makes a program called PC Tools), but VTech sold that software company to a competitor, Symantec. Besides making computers, VTech also makes electronic toys (Whiz Kid and Murduck) and digital cordless phones (Tropez). VTech's American sales office is in Illinois (at 800 Church St., Lake Zurich IL 60047) and is headed by Rick Mazursky (the President of VTech Computers). Phone 800-Bug-Expo (or 708-540-8086). Sales hours are weekdays 7AM-8:30PM, Saturday 9AM-6PM, Sunday 10AM-3PM, Central Time. When you phone, you encounter a voice-mail system. For best results, ask for extension 7134 (such as by pressing ``7134'' on your touch-tone phone). That gets you a very helpful salesman named Tim Lilly. If he doesn't answer personally, leave a message on his voice-mail system, and he'll call you back. If Tim gets overloaded and you're impatient waiting for his callback, he recommends calling his buddy Kirby Schneider at extension 7401. Prepare for battle The battle of Quantex versus VTech has political overtones: it's a battle of Taiwan versus Hong Kong. For about $2000, Quantex and VTech will each sell you a computer that includes a 486DX2-66 (with 128K cache), 8M RAM, big hard drive, VESA local bus, 15-inch monitor, DOS, Windows, mouse, double-spin CD-ROM drive, sound card, pair of stereo speakers, 14400-baud fax/modem, and 1-year on-site warranty. Exact prices Quantex charges $1995. VTech charges $1913 ($1799 plus $114 for the fax/modem). How Quantex beats VTech Quantex has these advantages over VTech. . . . Quantex's price includes a tower. VTech gives you just a desktop computer unless you pay a $130 surcharge. VTech's price includes Windows. Quantex's price includes Windows for Workgroups, which is fancier. Quantex's price includes a CD containing an encyclopedia (Microsoft Encarta), a CD containing Borland Office (which includes Windows versions of the Word Perfect word processor, Paradox database, and Quattro Pro spreadsheet), a Kodak Photo CD, and floppy disks containing a checkbook program (Microsoft Money) and games (Microsoft Entertainment Pack). VTech's price includes no application software at all, though for $59 extra VTech will sell you a set of four CD's: Choose either the fun set (7th Guest and other fun games), the outdoors set (San Diego Zoo Animals and other information about animals, plants, and travel), or the home set (Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia and other references & educational games). Quantex's sound card is 16-bit. VTech's is slightly inferior (16-bit output but just 8-bit input). Quantex's speakers contain knobs and buttons that let you adjust the sound, though Quantex neglects to provide instructions about them. VTech's speakers contain no knobs or buttons at all: to adjust the volume, you must reach behind the entire computer and rotate a knob on the back of the sound card. Quantex gives you a toll-free number to call whenever you have questions about hardware or software. VTech's toll-free number is just for questions about hardware; for software questions, VTech forces you to call a different number that's not toll-free. How VTech beats Quantex Now let's look at the other side of the coin, and see the ways in which VTech beats Quantex. . . . VTech's keyboard accepts a light touch. Quantex's keyboard requires you to press harder. VTech's keyboard gives you audio feedback, by making a clicking sound whenever you press a key. Quantex's keyboard has no click, so you're never sure whether you've hit a key hard enough to register. Though Quantex's CD-ROM drive is fast (a 320-millisecond Sony), VTech's CD-ROM drive is even faster (a 250-millisecond Mitsumi). On weekends, VTech is open, but Quantex is closed. If you order from VTech, you'll typically wait 1« weeks from the time you place your order until the time you receive your computer. If you order from Quantex, the salesman will tell you ``2 weeks'' but you'll typically have to wait 3 weeks instead ___ and get ticked off! Quantex is hard to reach on the phone, especially if you have a tech-support or customer-service question. VTech is hard to reach too, but not as hard as Quantex! VTech's manuals are written in correct English and are complete. Some of Quantex's manuals are written in correct English; other Quantex manuals are written in Chinese English (for example, they say ``drive your floopies'' when they mean ``insert your floppies''); Quantex's sound-card manual is missing. If you have a problem with VTech, call your salesman Tim Lilly and he'll try to solve it promptly (because Tim knows he won't get more orders from me if he doesn't!). No salesperson at Quantex gets that personally involved in solving customer problems. VTech's monitor plugs into the computer easily. To plug Quantex's monitor into Quantex's computer, you need a screwdriver. The front wall of VTech's case pops off easily, without requiring a screwdriver; and the battery sits just behind that front wall, so you can easily replace the battery if it runs down. In Quantex's computer, the battery is harder to find and get to: you need a screwdriver. Summary of the fight Most of those comments I made about Quantex and VTech can be boiled down to this summary: Quantex gives you a bigger case, fancier Windows, better and more CD's, better sound card, and toll-free help even for software questions; and in many situations, Quantex also gives a total lower cost (after you include the cost of the fax/modem, shipping, and tax); on the other hand, VTech gives you a better mouse, better keyboard, better monitor, better CD-ROM drive, better hours, faster service, better manuals, longer warranty, and easier assembly & disassembly. Tax Quantex charges sales tax just if you're in New Jersey. VTech charges sales tax just if you're in Illinois. Shipping Quantex usually ships by Federal Express and charges slightly under $90. Quantex charges just $45 to folks in the Northeast who say ``send by UPS instead of by Federal Express''. VTech normally charges $89 to most of the USA, $188 to Alaska & Hawaii & Puerto Rico. You pay less if you're in Illinois, southern Wisconsin, or western Indiana or you buy a stripped-down computer (an SX or notebook computer). If you mention ``The Secret Guide to Computers'' to Tim Lilly, he usually deducts $10 from your shipping charges. Dishonesty Quantex and VTech are almost honest ___ but not quite! Quantex tells you the computer will get to you in just 2 weeks, but usually you must wait 3 weeks instead. (In my own case, when I tried buying a computer from Quantex, the salesman told me I'd get it in 10 days, but I actually had to wait 5 weeks! I was pretty steamed ___ especially since, every time I called, the salesman gave me wrong information about when my computer would be delivered. That's the main problem with Quantex: you get more equipment for your money but also more heart attacks.) Quantex ads for fancy systems brag that you get a 15-inch monitor, but Quantex's 15-inch monitor displays a smaller image than the typical 14-inch monitor. Quantex ads brag that the hard drive communicates with the computer very quickly by using a 32-bit bus, but the 32-bit feature doesn't work. When you turn the computer on, you get an error message instead! (What a lousy way to begin your computer experience: with an error message!) You'll get just 16-bit access instead. Quantex and VTech both claim you get ``on-site service''; but if your computer breaks, neither company will rush a repairman to your home. Instead, each company will mail you a replacement part and try to explain to you on the phone how to put it in. VTech ads used to brag that you get a 3-year warranty, but the ads were lying: each VTech computer came with a note saying that the warranty on the monitor is just 1-year, not 3-year. In July 1994, VTech changed to a different strategy: the new ads imply you get a 4-year warranty, but actually you get just a straight 1-year warranty unless you pay $189 for a service contract. This is progress? To make matters worse, the service contract costs you $210 instead of $189 if your computer is souped-up enough to be valued at over $2000. VTech used to fraudulently switch chips: if you ordered an SX-33, VTech sent you an SX-25 chip instead, covered up by a sticker telling you that if you peeked under the sticker you'd void the warranty! The SX-25 chip was pushed to run at 33 megahertz instead, so that it seemed to be an SX-33 chip; but there is a slight danger of pushed chips overheating and becoming unreliable. Similarly, if you ordered an SX-25, VTech sent you a pushed SX-20. That chip-switching is why VTech is called the cover-up company. It's the Nixon of the computer industry. After I found out about the chip switching and complained, VTech stopped the practice ___ partly because of me, but mainly because VTech ran out of SX-20 and SX-25 chips! Stupidity The folks at Quantex and VTech both install DOS incorrectly. To let your computer run faster, read my DOS and repair chapters and then phone me at 617-666-2666; I'll help you edit your CONFIG.SYS, AUTOEXEC.BAT, and CMOS setup files so your computer will run faster and run a greater variety of software without hassles! Improvements The heads of Quantex and VTech are both trying hard to improve their companies. Quantex has established a new phone system to handle tech-support calls. Quantex has sent newsletters to old customers to keep them informed. Quantex has surveyed customers and asked them how Quantex can improve. VTech's new president, Rick Mazursky, has been improving VTech's corporate culture. He says he wants to turn VTech into the ``honest Abe'' of the computer industry; and he's been sending VTech's salespeople and tech-support specialists to classes to beef up their knowledge and manners. Other models Besides the models I described that cost about $2000, Quantex and VTech offer many other models also. Quantex offers these models: CPU RAM Hard driveMonitorExtra hardwareCasePrice 486SX-33 4M 340M 14-inchCD-ROM, sound, fax/modemdesktop$1395 486DX2-66 4M 340M 14-inchCD-ROM, sound, fax/modemdesktop$1595 486DX2-66 8M 420M 15-inch tower$1675 486DX2-66 8M 340M 15-inchCD-ROM, sound, fax/modemtower$1895 486DX2-66 8M 420M 15-inchCD-ROM, sound, fax/modemtower$1995 Pentium-60 8M 420M 15-inch tower$1995 Pentium-90 8M 420M 15-inch tower$2295 Pentium-90 8M 540M 15-inchCD-ROM, sound, fax/modemtower$2695 Pentium-90 16M 540M 15-inchCD-ROM, fax/modemtower$2795 Each includes Windows for Workgroups. If the computer is a tower, the fax/modem is fast (14400-baud); if the computer is a desktop, the fax/modem is slow (9600-baud fax, 2400-baud modem). Different models come with different software; for details, see Quantex's ad or phone Quantex. VTech offers these models: CPU RAM Hard driveMonitorExtra hardwarePrice 486SX-33 4M 210M 14-inch $999 486DX-33 4M 424M 14-inch $1299 486DX2-66 4M 424M 14-inch $1399 486DX2-66 8M 527M 15-inch CD-ROM, sound $1799 Pentium-60 8M 424M 14-inch $1849 Pentium-60 8M 527M 15-inch CD-ROM $2099 Each is a desktop and includes Windows. Quantex and VTech will gladly custom-build a computer to your own specifications: invent any combination of CPU, RAM, disk drives, monitor, and extra cards. But custom-built systems take about a week longer to build and deliver than the standard systems listed above. Notebook computers Quantex doesn't sell notebook computers yet. VTech sells a cheap notebook computer. It costs just $999 (plus $49 shipping, minus $10 if you mention ``The Secret Guide to Computers'' to Tim Lilly). It includes a Cyrix 486SLC-33 CPU (which is slightly slower than an Intel 486SX-33). It also includes a 4M RAM, 1.44M floppy drive, 120M hard drive, DOS, Windows, and mouse. It weighs about 7 pounds. If you wish, you can add accessories. For example, $100 extra gets you a fax/modem; unfortunately, it's somewhat slow (9600-baud send fax, 4800-baud receive fax, 2400-baud modem). $110 extra gets you 6M instead of 4M. $39 extra gets you a bag to put the computer in. (Oops! I shouldn't call it a ``bag''. Sophisticated folks call it a carrying case.) Though VTech has stopped advertising that notebook computer, there are a few left, especially ones that have the $100 fax/modem installed. Phone VTech and ask! Now VTech advertises a notebook computer that's fancier. It includes a faster CPU (486DX-33), a bigger hard drive (340M), a trackball (instead of a mouse), and a longer-lasting battery (nickel metal-hydride instead of nickel-cadmium). It still includes 4M RAM, DOS, and Windows. It weighs 5« pounds. It comes in two versions: the $1499 version includes a monochrome screen, the $2199 version includes a color screen. Quantex's sisters Quantex has a sister company: Micro Professionals. Like Quantex, Micro Professionals is secretly owned by Fountain, uses Fountain's motherboards and cases, and advertises in Computer Shopper. Its prices are similar to Quantex's. Most systems from Micro Professionals include a pair of floppy drives (3«-inch and 5¬-inch) but no fax/modem; the price includes more programs on floppy disks but fewer programs on CD-ROM disks. Phone Micro Professionals in Illinois at 800-800-8300 or 708-339-8398. Quantex used to have another sister company. Called Computer Sales Professional, it was in the same town as Quantex and Fountain, bought most of its parts from Fountain, was probably owned indirectly by Fountain, and advertised in Computer Shopper. In the summer of 1993, I recommended buying from Computer Sales Professional. But at the end of 1993, Computer Sales Professional got swamped with too many customers, couldn't handle them all promptly, and advertised choices that customers found too confusing. During the first half of 1994, Computer Sales Professional stopped advertising, then merged into Quantex. Midwest Micro Midwest Micro is a fine company from the midwest: Ohio! It began by selling just printers, but now it sells complete computer systems too. It was the first major computer company to offer a true 3-year warranty on the entire desktop system, including even the monitor! Phone Midwest Micro at 800-572-8844 or 513-368-2309. To keep prices down, Midwest Micro uses CPU chips manufactured by AMD and Cyrix, which charge less than Intel. Desktop & tower computers Here are Midwest Micro's prices: CPU RAM Hard dr.Video Extra hardware Price 486SLC-33Cyrix 2M250M14" with 512K $799 486SX-33Intel 4M340M14" with 1M9600 fax, 2400 modem$1199 486DX-33Cyrix 4M250M14" with 1M9600 fax, 2400 modem$1249 486DX2-50Cyrix 4M250M14" with 1M9600 fax, 2400 modem$1299 486DX2-50Cyrix 4M340M15" with 1M14400 fax/modem$1449 486DX2-66AMD 4M340M 14" with 1M $1299 486DX2-66AMD 8M428M 14" with 1M $1499 486DX2-66AMD 8M428M 15" with 1MCD-ROM $1699 486DX2-66Intel 8M428M15" with 1MCD-ROM, 14400 fax/modem, sound$1999 Pentium-60Intel 8M428M15" with 1MCD-ROM $1999 Pentium-60Intel 8M428M15" with 2MCD-ROM, 14400 fax/modem, sound$2399 Pentium-90Intel16M528M15" with 2MCD-ROM, 14400 fax/modem$2999 Most of those systems are towers, but the $799 system is a desktop. Most of those systems include Windows for Workgroups, but the $799 system does not. Most of those systems have fine monitors (whose dot pitch is .28mm), but the $799 system has a blurry monitor (whose dot pitch is .39mm). The video column shows that the amount of RAM on the video card varies from 512K to 2M. If you buy a system that includes sound, you also get 3 CD-ROMs: Microsoft Encarta (an encyclopedia), Microsoft Money (which balances your checkbook and keep track of expenses), and Microsoft Works (an integrated program that does a little bit of everything: word processing, databases, spreadsheets, graphics, and telecommunication). Notebook computers For notebook computers with big hard disks, Midwest Micro offers the best prices in the computer industry! Here they are: CPU RAM Disk drivesVideo Extras Price 486SX-254M260M, external 1.44Mpassive mono $1299 486SX-254M340M, external 1.44Mpassive monofax/modem$1499 486SX-334M340M, external 1.44Mdual-scan colorWindows$1999 486DX2-504M340M, internal 1.44Mdual-scan colorWindows, sound$2299 486DX2-664M520M, internal 1.44Mdual-scan colorWindows, sound$2499 486DX4-1008M520M, internal 1.44Mdual-scan colorWindows, sound$2999 486DX4-1008M520M, internal 1.44Mactive colorWindows, sound, fax/modem $3999 Each of those notebook computers includes an Intel CPU, DOS, a trackball, a carrying case, and the kind of battery that lasts the longest: nickel metal hydride (NiMH). In that chart, ``Windows'' means the best version of Windows (Windows for Workgroups); ``sound'' means built-in sound circuitry and a microphone; ``fax/modem'' means a 9600-baud fax with a 2400-baud modem. When the chart says the 1.44M floppy drive is ``internal'', that drive is built into the notebook, and the notebook weighs about 7 pounds. When the chart says the 1.44M floppy drive is ``external'', that drive is in a separate case than the rest of the notebook; a cable runs from one case to the other. Disadvantage: if you want to take the external floppy drive with you, you must carry two cases (the notebook and the external floppy drive). Advantage: if you don't need the floppy drive, you can take just the notebook itself, which weighs just 4 pounds. The chart shows that Midwest Micro notebooks offers three kinds of video. Passive-matrix monochrome (passive mono) works slowly and can't display colors. Dual-scan color works faster (by handling the top & bottom halves of the screen simultaneously) and can display colors, but the colors look somewhat dull and washed out. Active-matrix color (active color) works even faster and displays colors more brightly. Add $219 for 4M of extra RAM. Gateway Gateway sells more computers by mail than any other company. Here's how Gateway became the mail-order king. How Gateway arose Gateway began because of cows. In the 1800's, George Waitt began a cattle company. According to legend, he got his first herd by grabbing cattle that jumped off barges into the Missouri River on the way to the stockyards. His cattle business passed to his descendants and eventually into the hands of his great-grandson, Norm, who built the Waitt Cattle Company into one of the biggest cattle firms in the Midwest. The company is on the Missouri River, in Sioux City, Iowa, which is the city where Iowa meets South Dakota and Nebraska. Norm's sons ___ Norm Junior and Ted ___ were more interested in computers than cows, so in 1985 they started the ``Gateway 2000'' company in their dad's office. They pointed out that computers are easier to ship to customers than cows, since computers can withstand a long journey without needing to be fed and without making a mess in their boxes. 22-year-old Ted was the engineer and called himself ``president''; Norm Junior was the businessman and called himself ``vice president''. At first, they sold just parts for the Texas Instruments Professional Computer. Soon they began building their own computers. By the end of 1985, they'd sold 50 systems. In 1986, they moved to a larger office in the Sioux City Livestock Exchange Building. They sold 300 systems that year. In 1987, they sold 500 systems. In 1988, Ted began a national marketing campaign by designing his own ads and running them in Computer Shopper magazine. His most famous ad showed a gigantic two-page photo of his family's cattle farm and the headline, ``Computers from Iowa?'' The computer industry was stunned ___ cowed ___ by the ad's huge size and by the IBM clones it offered at such low prices. In the ad, Ted emphasized that Gateway was run by hard-working, honest midwesterners who gave honest value. (At that time, most clones came from California or Texas; but Californians had a reputation for being ``flaky'', and Texans had a reputation for being ``lawless''). Though cynics called Gateway ``the cow computer'', it was a success. The company moved a few miles south to a larger plant in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa. Gateway's operations there began with 28 employees. Sales continued to rise: in 1988, Gateway sold 4,000 computers, for which customers paid a total of 12 million dollars. In 1989, Gateway sold 25,000 computers, for which customers paid 80 million dollars. In the summer of 1989, Gateway had grown to 150 employees, so Gateway began building a larger plant. To get tax breaks and business grants, they built the plant upriver at North Sioux City, South Dakota. They moved there in January 1990. During 1990, Gateway became much more professional. In 1989, the ``instruction manual'' was 2 pages; in 1990, it was 2 books. In 1989, the ``tech support staff'' (which answers technical questions from customers) consisted of just 1 person, and you had to wait 2 days for him to return your call; in 1990, the tech support staff consisted of 35 people, and you could get through in 2 minutes. Gateway also switched to superior hard drives and monitors. Altogether, in 1990 Gateway sold about 100,000 computers, for which customers paid 275 million dollars, generating a net profit of $25 million. Sales continued to climb. In 1991, Gateway sold 225,000 computers, for which customers paid 627 million dollars. By early 1992, Gateway was selling nearly 2,000 computers per day and had 1,300 employees, including over 100 salespeople and 200 tech-support specialists to answer technical questions. By the end of 1992, Gateway had 1,876 employees. Total sales for 1992 were 1.1 billion dollars. Not bad, for a company whose president was just 30! Since Gateway was owned by just Norm Junior and Ted, those two boys became quite rich! And at the end of 1993, Gateway went public, so now you can buy Gateway stock and own part of that dreamy company. Gateway's become a rapidly growing cash cow: moo-lah, moo-lah! But Gateway hasn't lost its sense of humor. When you buy a Gateway computer, it comes in a box painted to look like a dairy cow: white with black spots. Each Gateway ad begins with gigantic photographs. In early ads, the photos showed individuals in beautiful landscapes. In newer ads, the photos show hoards of Gateway employees dressed as Robin Hood's men in Sherwood Forest, top-hatted performers in Vegas cabarets, teenagers in a nostalgic 1950's diner bathed in neon glow, or movie directors applauding a ship full of pirates. The eye-popping photos, which seem to have nothing to do with computers, grab your attention. (Gateway's diner ad includes the only photo I've ever seen that makes meat loaf look romantic!) Then you get headlines and florid prose that try to relate the scene to Gateway's computers. Finally, after all that multi-page image-building nonsense, you get to the ad's finale, which reveals Gateway's great technical specifications (specs), great service policies, and low prices. That way of building an ad ___ fluff followed by stuff ___ has worked wonders for Gateway! The idiots admire the photos, the techies admire the specs, and everybody buys! Gateway was the first big mail-order manufacturer to give honest pricing: the advertised price includes everything except shipping. The price even includes a color monitor. And since the specs of all the components are great, a Gateway system is a dream system. When accompanied by dreamy ads and offered at a ridiculously low price, how can you not buy? The company's official name is ``Gateway 2000''. Phone 800-LAD-2000 or 605-232-2000. The address is 610 Gateway Drive, North Sioux City, South Dakota 57049. Prices Here are Gateway's prices: CPU RAM Hard dr.VideoExtras Programs Price 486SX-33 4M340M 14" 1M Microsoft Works$1299 486SX-33 4M340M 14" 1Msound, fax/modemMicrosoft Works + more$1499 486DX2-66 4M340M14" 1M Microsoft Works$1599 486DX2-66 8M340M14" 1Msound, fax/modemMicrosoft Works + more$1999 486DX2-66 8M540M15" 1M PCI Microsoft Office Pro$2299 Pentium-60 8M540M15" 1M PCI Microsoft Office Pro$2499 Pentium-90 8M540M15" 2M PCI Microsoft Office Pro$2999 Pentium-9016M540M17" 2M PCIsoundMicrosoft Office Pro$3999 Each system includes a 1.44M floppy drive, CD-ROM drive, DOS, Windows for Workgroups, and mouse. The $3999 system is a tower; the cheaper systems are desktops. In that chart, Microsoft Office Pro is a software collection that includes a word processor (Microsoft Word), database (Access), spreadsheet (Excel), and presentation-graphics program (Powerpoint). The ``+ more'' is a software collection that includes a general encyclopedia (Encarta), an encyclopedia of baseball lore (Microsoft Baseball), a golf game to play (Microsoft Golf), a checkbook program (Microsoft Money), and some computerized photographs (Corel Photo CD). Shipping If you order a computer, you must typically wait 3 weeks to receive it. That's because Gateway is swamped with orders and won't ship your order until nearly 3 weeks after you order; then Gateway will ship the computer by 2-day air and charge you $95 for shipping. Dropping prices Those prices went into effect in July of 1994. By the time you read this book, Gateway's prices might be even lower. When you phone Gateway to check a price, Gateway's salespeople often quote you a lower price than advertised. That's because Gateway's prices drop often, and the ads aren't as up-to-date as what the salespeople say. Moreover, Gateway likes to fool competitors by pretending to have high prices while actually offering prices so low that you can't say no, so competitors can't figure out why everybody's buying from Gateway. Support Inspired by competition from Midwest Micro, Gateway now offers a 3-year warranty on the entire system, including even the monitor. Gateway also gives you a 30-day money-back guarantee, lifetime toll-free tech support, 3-year on-site service (from Dow Jones, if you're within 100 miles of a Dow Jones service center), and free shipping of replacement parts by overnight air. Exception: for notebook and subnotebook computers, the warranty and on-site service is just 1-year instead of 3-year. Delays Up through 1992, Gateway's popularity grew rapidly, and Gateway acquired many customers ___ too many for Gateway to handle! Gateway was understaffed. Customers complained about getting busy signals, shipping delays, and incompetent tech-support staff. The delays got worse and worse, until they reached a crisis point in January of 1993. By then, many of Gateway's former customers got disgusted and switched to other vendors instead, and complained to me and other journalists. Infoworld, The Wall Street Journal, and I wrote articles saying how bad Gateway had become. That was enough of a ``kick in the pants'' to make Gateway clean up its act. After January of 1993, Gateway gradually improved the quantity and quality of its staff, so by August of 1993 Gateway's service and support had become no worse than the industry average. But in September of 1993, Gateway started to get overloaded again; and by the Christmas of 1993, Gateway was so overloaded that customers began to complain. By January of 1994, Gateway was back in a stage of full-blown crisis again ___ just like a year before! Throughout the first half of 1994, Gateway's delays were intolerable: about 5 weeks to get a computer, and next-to-impossible to get through to the technical-service department. I hope Gateway improves again! Keyboard Gateway's keyboard is manufactured by Maxiswitch and completely programmable: you can program any key to perform any function. For example, if you don't like the SHIFT key's location, you can program a different key to act as the SHIFT key. Unfortunately, that feature is too fancy: many beginners accidentally hit the ``Program macro'' button, which then reprograms the keys so no key works as expected! Beginners have trouble finding the instructions that explain how to reset the keyboard to act normally again. Modems Gateway charges $129 for a 14400-baud fax/modem. Giant monitors If your system is advertised as having a 15-inch monitor, you can switch to a 17-inch monitor by adding $335. If your system is advertised as having just a 14-inch monitor, you can switch to a 17-inch monitor by adding $395. Notebooks and subnotebooks Gateway sells notebook computers having color screens. Gateway calls them Colorbooks. Each Gateway Colorbook weighs about 6 pounds. Here are the details: CPU RAM Fax/modem Programs Price 486SX-334M Microsoft Works$2199 486DX2-404M9600 fax, 2400 modemMicrosoft Works$2699 486DX2-508M9600 fax, 2400 modemMicrosoft Office Pro$3199 486DX4-758M14400 fax, 14400 modemMicrosoft Office Pro$3699 Each Colorbook is 11.7 inches wide, 8.5 inches deep, and 1.77 inches thick. The screen is 10.3 inches and dual-scan. The keyboard has 85 keys and includes a trackball, a built-in 1.44M drive, a removable 250M hard drive, and the best kind of battery (NiMH). Gateway also sells computers that are even smaller: subnotebooks! Gateway calls them Handbooks. They're built for Gateway by Texas Instruments. Each Gateway Handbook has a 7.9-inch monochrome screen and weighs just 3 pounds. Here are the details: CPU RAM HardFax/modem ProgramsPrice 486SX-254M 80M9600/2400 Microsoft Works$1895 486DX2-408M130M14400/14400Microsoft Works$2295 486DX2-508M250M14400/14400Micr. Office Pro$2999 Each Handbook is 9.75 inches wide, 5.9 inches deep, and 1.6 inches thick. The keyboard has 78 keys and includes a joystick (instead of a trackball). One reason why the computer weighs so little is that it does not contain the floppy-disk drive, which is separate and external. The price includes the computer itself, the external 1.44M floppy-disk drive, 2 NiMH batteries, and a cable to transfer data to & from a desktop computer. Each Colorbook and Handbook also comes with an AC/DC converter, a carrying case, DOS, and Windows for Workgroups. Should you buy from Gateway? Since Gateway usually charges more than competitors such as Quantex, VTech, and Midwest Micro, and since Gateway usually subjects you to longer delays in shipping and in getting through to technical support, I normally recommend buying from those competitors instead. But some folks prefer to buy from Gateway anyway, since Gateway includes more software, charges less for upgrades, and is a more stable company. Packard Bell Packard Bell tries to sell computers to the average American, who is curious about computers but doesn't understand them and doesn't want to spend much. Since the average American doesn't visit computer stores and is scared to buy a computer by mail-order, Packard Bell sells cheap clones through discount department stores (such as Sears, Walmart, Sam's Club, Lechmere, Fredder, Price Club, Costco, Staples, and Office Max). The typical Packard Bell computer sells for about $1000, though Packard Bell also makes fancier models that sell for about $2000. Packard Bell computers are popular because they typically come with about 15 easy-to-use programs that are loaded already on the hard disk, so you can start using the computer immediately. The programs include games, tutorials, educational experiences, and simple productivity tools (such as Microsoft Works, which includes a word processor, database, spreadsheet, etc.). To keep the advertised price low, it typically includes a poor monitor (.39mm dot pitch, interlaced) or doesn't include any monitor at all. The programs are on the hard disk but not on floppy disks. If you accidentally erase the hard disk, you've lost the programs! When you buy the computer, you're supposed to also buy a big stack of blank floppy disks and copy all the programs from the hard disk to floppy disks; but many consumers forget to do that. What if it breaks? Most stores have a 30-day money-back guarantee. If your computer breaks during that 30-day period, your best bet is to return it to the store and ask for your money back. If the computer breaks after the 30-day period, don't bother returning it to the store: the store won't give you your money back, and the store won't be able to fix the computer. Instead, you must phone Packard Bell. During the early 1990's, getting a Packard Bell computer repaired was tough. For example, I wrote this comment in the 1990 edition of The Secret Guide to Computers: Warning: getting a Packard Bell computer repaired is tough. Dealers complain that Packard Bell doesn't provide replacement parts; customers complain that dealers say to phone Packard Bell, which rarely answers the phone. When it DOES answer, it says to leave your phone number for a call back. Then it either neglects to call you or tells you to phone a service company that tells you to get lost. By 1993, Packard Bell improved slightly, but then Packard Bell's phone-support center got wrecked by the earthquake in Northridge & Los Angeles in January 1994. Customers who called after that got just circuit-busy messages. In July 1994, Packard Bell moved its support center to Utah, which has fewer earthquakes. The support center's in the town of Magna, a suburb of Salt Lake City. But if you try phoning Packard Bell's support center (at 800-733-4411), you still usually get a recorded message saying that all lines are busy and you should try writing a letter or sending electronic mail instead. Of course, sending ``electronic mail'' is difficult if your computer is broken! In spite of its questionable repair record, Packard Bell has grown rapidly and become one of the biggest computer companies in the USA. That's because Packard Bell has the right formula: good distribution (you can find Packard Bell computers at most department stores across the USA), good price (amazingly cheap), good easy-to-use programs (though they're the cheap kind that don't cost Packard Bell much), repairs handled directly by Packard Bell (so the department stores don't need any computer technicians on their staff), and a good-sounding name (``Packard Bell''). The name ``Packard Bell'' sounds good because it reminds consumers of the Bell Telephone companies, and consumers think ``Packard Bell'' might be somehow related to ``Pacific Bell'' or some other well-respected phone company ___ perhaps a merger between Hewlett-Packard and Ma Bell? To encourage that misconception, Packard Bell's slogan is ``America grew up listening to us.'' But actually, Packard Bell is a completely independent company that never had anything to do with any phone company. Back in the 1950's, there was an unrelated company called ``Packard Bell'', which built radios; the Packard Bell computer company bought the name ``Packard Bell'' from the radio company, just so that the computer company would sound like it was related to a phone company. Some states require Packard Bell computers to be sold with a disclaimer warning the consumer that Packard Bell computers are ``not affiliated with any Bell System entity''. In surveys of customer satisfaction done by PC Magazine and PC World, customers who have bought computers from Packard Bell computers are much less happy than customers who have bought other brands. But that's probably because the customers who were surveyed just outgrew their Packard Bell computers and longed for computers that were fancier ___ and that had a better record of handling repairs. Cheapest computers If you browse through the ads in Computer Shopper magazine, you'll find companies that charge even less than Quantex and VTech. Many folks have asked me about the following advertisers, whose prices are about $100 cheaper than VTech and Quantex: Cybermax 133 North 5th St. Allentown PA 18017 phone 800-443-9868 ABS Computer Technologies 13455 Brooks Dr. #A Baldwin Park CA 91706 phone 800-876-8088 or 818-337-3883 To save money, Cybermax uses CPU chips by AMD instead of by Intel. ABS uses Intel chips in some computers, AMD chips in others. I don't have feedback yet about those companies; I don't know yet whether their customers are happy or sad. Probably the companies are fine, but proceed at your own risk. Whenever you want to swap data with me about those companies, phone me at 617-666-2666. Cybermax has a 45-day money-back guarantee. ABS has a 30-day money-back guarantee. But if you want to get your money back from Cybermax, ABS, or any other company, remember that ``money-back guarantee'' does not mean ``hassle-free''. Every computer company, from IBM on down, gives you these headaches: shipping charges aren't refundable; to get a refund, you must return the original packaging; before returning the computer, you must phone to get a return-merchandise authorization number (RMA number); the employees who can give you an RMA number might be hard to reach; if you return a computer, you don't know how long the vendor will stall before giving you a refund; and the whole process might waste so much of your time and give you such an upset tummy that you'll think ``computers'' should be spelled ``come pukers''. People who fish for rock-bottom prices (by phoning unknown vendors such as Cybermax and ABS) are called bottom fishers. If you decide to go bottom fishing, I hope your fishing expedition succeeds and you catch a good fish. Good luck! Comp USA The most popular chain of computer superstores is Comp USA. It's based in Dallas but has stores in many other big cities nationwide. Comp USA sells many computer brands (such as Dell, Compaq, and Toshiba). In 1991, Comp USA began building its own computers, called Compudyne. In previous editions of this Guide, I recommended Compudyne computers. But lately, Compudyne prices have been too high to be competitive. I hope they go back down! To find out more about Compudyne computers, visit your local Comp USA store or phone Comp USA's headquarters at 800-COMP-USA (or 214-702-0055). Compaq The first company that made high-quality IBM clones was Compaq. (Before Compaq, the only IBM clones available were crummy.) How Compaq began It all began on a napkin. Sitting in a restaurant, two engineers drew on a napkin their picture of what the ideal IBM clone would look like. Instead of being a desktop computer, it would be a luggable having a 9-inch built-in screen and a handle, the whole computer system being small enough so you could pick it up with one hand. Then they built it! Since it was compact, they called it the Compaq Portable Computer and called the company Compaq Computer Corporation. They began selling it in 1983. They charged about the same for it as IBM charged for the IBM PC. They sold it just to dealers who'd been approved by IBM to sell the IBM PC. That way, they knew all their dealers were reliable ___ and they competed directly against IBM, in the same stores. They succeeded fantastically. That first year, sales totalled 100 million dollars. In 1984, they inserted a hard drive into the computer and called that souped-up luggable the Compaq Plus. They also built a desktop computer called the Deskpro. Like Compaq's portable computers, the Deskpro was priced about the same as IBM's computers, was sold just through IBM dealers, and was built well ___ a marvel of engineering, better than IBM's. Later, Compaq expanded: it built IBM clones in many sizes, from towers down to subnotebooks. Compaq computers have all gotten the highest praise ___ and the highest prices. Because of their high prices, they're not cost-effective. New leadership Compaq was founded by Rod Canion. He was Compaq's chief executive until 1991, when his board of directors fired him and replaced him by Eckhard Pfeiffer, who lowered Compaq's astronomical prices somewhat and began selling through a greater variety of dealers and also through mail-order. In 1994, Compaq became popular enough to catch up to IBM and Apple. Which company sells the most computers in the whole world? The answer is a three-way tie among Compaq, IBM, and Apple. Compaq's new, cheaper computers are called Pro Linea computers, and Compaq makes even cheaper ones called Presario computers. Though cheaper than Compaq's older computers, they still cost much more than IBM clones from competitors such as Quantex, VTech, Midwest Micro, Gateway, and Packard Bell. Though Compaq has dropped prices several times, each drop started a price war where Compaq's competitors replied by dropping their prices too, so Compaq computers are still a bit overpriced in relation to competitors. Though Compaq's prices remain high enough to prevent me from buying a Compaq, I'm grateful to Compaq for starting the price wars that let me pay less to Compaq's competitors! Aero Compaq's subnotebook computer called the Aero because it's almost lighter than air: it weighs just 3« pounds. At 7«"x10¬", it's smaller than a sheet of paper; and it's just 1«" thick. Discount dealers sell it for just $949. That price includes a 486SX-25 CPU, 4M RAM, 84M hard drive, 8" gray-scale screen, trackball, DOS, Windows, and a program that helps you organize your time & work (Lotus Organizer). Since it does not include a floppy drive, there are two practical ways to feed it popular programs. . . . Method 1: buy an external floppy drive. Method 2: run a cable from a desktop computer to the Aero, and transfer programs to the Aero through the cable. Phone Compaq's in Houston at 800-888-8196. Dell Although Compaq was the first company that made good IBM clones, its clones were expensive. The first company that sold fast IBM clones cheaply was PC's Limited, founded in 1984 by a 19-year-old kid, Michael Dell. He operated out of the bedroom of his condo apartment, near the University of Texas in Austin. At first, his prices were low ___ and so were his quality and service. Many of the computers he shipped didn't work: they were dead on arrival (DOA). When his customers tried to return the defective computer equipment to him for repair or a refund, his company ignored the customer altogether. By 1986, many upset customers considered him a con artist and wrote bitter letters about him to computer magazines. He responded by saying that his multi-million-dollar company was growing faster than expected and couldn't keep up with the demand for after-sale service. (Hmm . . . sounds like Gateway!) People called him a ``ding-dong'', and he became known as ``Ding-Dong Dell''. (The story of Dell versus Gateway has become known as ``Ding-Dong Dell & The Farmer Doing Well''.) In 1987, Dell raised his quality and service ___ and his prices. In 1988, he changed the company's name to Dell Computer Corporation. Now he charges almost as much as IBM and Compaq. His quality and service are top-notch and set the standard for the rest of the mail-order industry. In speed and quality contests, his computers often beat IBM and Compaq. His ads bash Compaq for having higher prices than Dell and worse policies about getting repairs ___ since Dell offers on-site service and Compaq doesn't. For example, in 1991 Dell ran an ad calling Dell's notebook computer a ``road warrior'' and Compaq's a ``road worrier''. It showed the Dell screen saying, ``With next day on-site service in 50 states, nothing's going to stop you.'' It showed the Compaq screen saying, ``Just pray you don't need any service while you're on the road, or you're dead meat.'' His ads are misleading. Although his prices are much lower than Compaq's list price, his prices are just slightly less than the discount price at which Compaq computers are normally sold. Although Compaq doesn't provide free on-site service, you can sometimes get your Compaq repaired fast by driving to a nearby Compaq dealer. Like IBM and Compaq, Dell has recently dropped its prices, though they're still higher than Gateway's. Dell has even started selling through discount-store chains such as Comp USA, Staples, and Price Club. To pay less for a Dell computer, buy from a discount dealer such as Price Club instead of directly from Dell. Most Dell computers come with this guarantee: if Dell doesn't answer your tech-support call within 5 minutes, Dell will give you $25! Dell's newest attempt to generate excitement is a Pentium for just $1999. That price includes a Pentium-60 CPU, 8M RAM, 340M hard drive, 15-inch monitor, DOS, Windows, and mouse. Dell also sells a fancier version for $2599, which includes an even faster CPU (Pentium-90), bigger hard drive (540M), and a CD-ROM drive. To get a free Dell catalog or chat with a Dell sales rep, phone 800-BUY-DELL. The A-Team The ``A-Team'' consists of two manufacturers in Irvine, California: ALR and AST. ALR stands for ``Advanced Logic Research''. AST stands for the names of its founders, ``Albert, Safi, and Tom''. Albert and Tom have left AST, which is now headed by Safi. (Computer-trivia question: what's Safi's last name, and how do you spell it? Answer: Qureshey.) ALR and AST build powerful, well-engineered computers, sold through computer stores, and priced lower than computers from IBM & Compaq, though higher than mail-order computers. ALR and AST are friendly rivals ___ and like to crash each other's parties. For example, when AST employees celebrated the company's tenth anniversary by taking a twilight cruise, a pirate ship appeared below them, manned by buccaneering engineers shouting, ``ALR! ALR!'' When PC Magazine and PC World did surveys of customer satisfaction, AST's customers said they were slightly happier than ALR's, because AST's computers needed somewhat fewer repairs and were also fixed faster. In 1993, Tandy (which owns Radio Shack) decided to stop manufacturing computers, and Tandy sold all its factories to AST. So now AST makes all Tandy and Radio Shack computers. Those extra factories have turned AST into one of the world's 7 most popular computer manufacturers. (The ``7 popular computer manufacturers'', which make more computers than any other companies, are IBM, Compaq, Apple, Dell, Gateway, Packard Bell, and AST.) AST also manufactures Dell's newest notebook computers. So if you try to buy a Tandy computer, Radio Shack computer, or Dell notebook computer, you're really buying a computer built by AST. Minnesota twins Back in the 1980's, the four biggest mail-order manufacturers were Gateway, Dell, Zeos, and Northgate. Zeos and Northgate are both in Minnesota and called the Minnesota twins. Zeos is in Saint Paul; Northgate is 15 miles away, in Eden Prairie. In 1991, Zeos and Northgate both faced crises. Zeos's quality dipped, and several reviewers received Zeos computers that were defective. Northgate suffered severe financial problems and lost its president. Zeos is still fully in business, though it's been operating at a loss. Zeos's quality has improved, and in 1994 Zeos won many awards for building the best and fastest Pentium computers. Zeos tends to charge more than Gateway but less than Dell. Unlike Gateway, Zeos ships promptly. Northgate has shrunk and no longer advertises to the general public, though it still accepts orders from government agencies, schools, and big corporations. Owls Zeos and Northgate are called the owls, because they've been the only major computer companies offering toll-free technical support around-the-clock, 24 hours. Even at 3AM, you can get help from them ___ or buy their computers. Gateway and Dell accept calls just during daylight hours and early evening. If you have a problem in the middle of the night, Gateway and Dell don't give a hoot. The 24-hour service provided by Zeos and Northgate has been very wise. How Zeos arose Zeos was founded by Greg Herrick in 1986. He wanted to name the company ``Eos'' (which is the Greek word for ``dawn''). He paid a designer $3,000 to design the ``Eos'' logo and stationery but then discovered that the name ``Eos'' was already being used by an architectural firm. He had to invent a new name quickly, and he hoped to shortcut the redesign process by just adding a letter in front of ``Eos''. He went through the whole alphabet ___ ``Aeos'', ``Beos'', ``Ceos'' ___ but they all sounded wrong, until he got to ``Zeos''. That became the company name! Years later, a colleague told him that in an early 1980's episode of the ``Dr. Who'' sci-fi series, Dr. Who encountered a planet named Zeos, whose sole resident was a computer, and the expedition to Zeos was led by a guy named Herrick. Just coincidence? Greg Herrick said he'd never heard of Dr. Who. Zeos grew very quickly ___ almost as quickly as Gateway. Zeos's 1987 sales were 513 thousand dollars, 1988 sales were 10 million dollars, 1989 sales were 35 million dollars, and 1990 sales were about 120 million dollars. (Those are the figures for each fiscal year, which ends after December.) Occidental Are Zeos's prices too high? To find out, Zeos started a company called Occidental Systems, which offered computers at lower prices. After The Wall Street Journal discovered Occidental was secretly owned by Zeos and was selling computers built by Zeos, some Zeos customers stopped buying from Zeos and bought from Occidental instead. So Zeos shut down Occidental. Phone them Phone Zeos at 800-554-7172 or 612-633-6131. Phone Northgate at 800-453-0178. Acer The biggest source of Chinese computers is Acer. It's a consortium of Taiwanese computer companies. It has 20 factories, sells computers in 90 countries, and has annual sales of about 3 billion dollars. Acer computers are particularly popular in Southeast Asia and Latin America. Acer makes Acer computers and Acros computers. They're sold mainly through computer stores and department stores. Acer also supplies parts for other brands of computers. For example, some Compudyne computers contain motherboards made by Acer. Recently, Acer's begun selling by mail-order at 800-230-ACER. But instead of buying from Acer, try Quantex and VTech, which charge less and are more helpful about repairs. Alternatives Some discount department stores sell bargain-brand computers. Those computers cost so little because they're crummy. Check the specs! Often you'll discover that the CPU is a 386 or the slowest kind of 486 (a 486SX-20), and the rest of their technical specifications are poor also. Topic Good computer Crummy computer main RAM 4M, 8M, or 16M 2M or 1M hard drive's capacity 210M, 340M, 420M, or 540M 170M, 120M, 80M, 65M, or 40M hard drive's average seek time 13, 12, 11, or 10 milliseconds 15, 18, 28, 40, or 65 milliseconds monitor's resolution 800-by-600 or 1024-by-768 640-by-480 or 640-by-400 monitor's dot pitch (sharpness) .31, .28, or .26 millimeters .39, .41, or .51 millimeters RAM on VGA card 1M or 2M 512K or 256K DOS MS-DOS 5, 6, 6.2, 6.21, or 6.22 MS-DOS 4.01 or DR-DOS 6 Windows Windows 3.1 Windows 3.0 or no Windows mouse manufactured by Microsoft off-brand Microsoft-compatible Here's another reason why those computers cost so little: when you ask the dealer for help (because you're confused or the computer is broken), the dealer will typically say ``I don't know. Phone the manufacturer.'' But when you try phoning the manufacturer, you'll find that the manufacturer's phone number is almost always busy, and you can't get through. Before buying such a computer, try this experiment: ask the dealer what phone number you'd call if you need repairs or technical assistance, then try phoning that number and see whether anybody answers! Local heroes In many towns across the USA and around the world, entrepreneurs sell computers at ridiculously low prices. You'll find those entrepreneurs at computer shows and in the tiny stores they run. Before buying a computer, check the computer's technical specifications and the dealer's reputation. If the dealer offers you software, make sure the dealer also gives you an official manual from the software's publisher, with a warranty/registration card. Otherwise, the software might be an illegal hot copy. Used computers You'll pay even less if you get a computer whose CPU is slow ___ an 8088. A used computer containing an 8088 CPU typically costs about $175. That price includes even the hard disk and monitor. Buy it from a friend, relative, or neighbor who is moving up to a fancier computer; or phone a used-computer broker such as the National Computer Exchange (phone 800-NACOMEX). Phone me For further advice about which computer to buy, phone me anytime at 617-666-2666.