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- Newsgroups: comp.windows.misc
- Path: sparky!uunet!pmafire!news.dell.com!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!hela.iti.org!cdj
- From: cdj@iti.org (Chris D. Jennings)
- Subject: PLEASE HELP: min. hardware requirements
- Message-ID: <1992Dec18.193225.5255@iti.org>
- Sender: cdj@iti.org (Chris D. Jennings)
- Organization: Industrial Technology Institute
- Distribution: usa
- Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 19:32:25 GMT
- Lines: 42
-
-
- I am considering purchasing Windows 3.1, but only if it will run at
- a reasonable speed on my existing hardware. I'm willing to add
- things to my machine to speed it up, but can't justify upgrading to
- a faster processor at this time.
-
- What I have now:
-
- CompuAdd 316s (80386sx, 16Mhz, 1 Meg RAM, 40 Meg hard drive)
- Hyundai VGA monitor (very basic but good display - 480x640???)
-
- I'm very happy with the speed of DOS applications on this machine
- (especially compared with the XT I use at work), but am not sure how
- much Windows would slow me down. I am willing to increase the speed
- of this system by adding RAM (maximum 4 Meg on motherboard), a
- larger hard disk, a video accelerator, QEMM, etc., since I can add
- these things gradually as my budget permits.
-
- Primary use of this machine will be about 3 hours/day, with 3/4 of
- that time spent on WinWord or a Windows-based PIM (I haven't
- selected one yet), with the other 1/4 time running DOS applications
- like a PIM called Arriba, and Quicken for my finances.
-
- BTW, this PC has 3 full-size 16 bit expansion slots and 2 half-size
- 8 bit slots (all free). I don't have a math coprocessor but could
- add one.
-
- Given the above information, am I likely to spend a lot of time
- waiting for WIndows if I try to run it on my PC? I'm willing to
- sacrifice some productivity for the sake of being able to run some
- of the Windows applications that don't have a DOS equivalent, but I
- don't want to spend too much time sitting and waiting. I realize
- this is a subjective thing, but please give me your best opinion
- about whether you would opt for Windows in my case, given that
- upgrading to a 486 isn't an option right now and I have to invest in
- either the DOS or Windows versions of a couple of business
- applications very soon.
-
- Thanks in advance for any advice.
-
- - Chris
-
-