AFTER READING THIS FILE, CLICK THE "FILE" MENU (IN THE WINDOWS
PROGRAM) AND CLICK OFF "PSL-NEWS".


=== Best PC Prices

Just last Fall we recommended a 75mhz Pentium because the cost
of moving up to a faster processor didn't seem worth it, but
now that system prices have fallen, the 133mhz cpu is not that
much more. We also recommended a 4x CD-ROM drive last time, but
6x drives have become pretty standard in desktop machines.

So here is our updated system recommendation:

133mhz Pentium
16MB RAM
2-Gig hard drive
256k synchronous pipelined burst cache
2MB Vram/MPEG video
17" monitor
6x CD-ROM
28.8 FAX/modem
wavetabled sound card
stereo speakers

And here are the best prices we found for the above:

ABS (800-876-8088) pipelined burst cache is optional;
     warranty: lifetime labor, 1 year parts. $2250.

Cybermax (800-443-9868) 1-year in-house warranty. $2600


--- Multimedia Notebooks

To get the same components in a notebook as a desktop cost many extra
hundreds of dollars, so we allow for some compromises.

SOUND: One compromise is that with the small speakers on a notebook,
the extra cost of wavetabled sounds is usually wasted, so a regular
16-bit sound card is ok.

CPU: A 486-100 is much cheaper than a Pentium 75 and gives at least
the same speed. Our goal is to stay as far under $3000 as we can. That
is almost impossible with a Pentium chip. We would MUCH rather spend
the price difference upgrading RAM to 16MB or the modem to 28.8.

RAM: We would not scrimp on RAM. You need 16MB to run Win95, and the
upgrade from 8MB (standard on most notebooks) to 16MB costs less than
$275. If you MUST economize, go with 8MB if the computer can be
user-upgraded to 16MB later by adding an 8MB card.

MODEM: A PCMCIA modem card is only $200 for a 28.8 versus $100 for a
14.4. The extra $100 is money well spent.

VIDEO: Standard seems to be 1MB VGA with MPEG hardware optional.
Active matrix displays add only $200-$300. Dual-scan displays are just
about as bright, so active matrix should be considered a luxury.
However, MD&I (below) offers an upgrade to active matrix for just
$175, which is hard to pass up. Most machines come with 11.3"
dual-scan or 10.4" active matrix. The extra inch would be nice. If
money is no object, IBM offers a 12+" display.

CD-ROM: Most notebooks with CDs have 4x speed. The MD&I system has a
2x, but that should be ok. I still use a 1x on my desktop with no
problems.

HARD DRIVE: Most multimedia notebooks have 540MB or 810MB drives.
Bigger is always better, but if economizing, you can get by with 540MB
if your main machine is a desktop.

INFRARED PORTS: Most have one infrared port. Some have two - one in
the front and another in the back. Get a portable printer with
infrared and you don't have to carry a bulky cable around.

BATTERY: We have found mail-order salespeople to be very up front
about what the REAL usage-time of their batteries are if you ask.
Sadly, batteries for notebooks are still in the stone age, some
lasting only an hour or less.

Sources:

BSI has a nicely priced and equipped notebook, but only a 1-hour
battery and no ability to hot-swap, so every hour, you have to shut
down to swap batteries. What a pain!

MD&I's notebook doesn't allow hot-swapping either, but it does hold
two batteries (the second can be swapped with the CD or floppy drive).
And at $75 for a second battery, MD&I also has the best price on
batteries.

MD&I Notebook ($1995 base price, $2700 as equipped) (800-619-8899)

The MD&I currently has the most bang for the buck. In addition, MD&I's
notebook lets you have the CD drive, hard drive, and floppy drive all
in the machine at once. Most other brands make you swap the CD drive
for either the hard drive or floppy drive. The 2nd battery can be
swapped for any of the 3 drives.

486-100 Cyrix cpu
16MB RAM (8MB standard, $260 for the 2nd 8MB)
540MB drive
10.4" Active Matrix display added
1MB Video DRAM
16-bit stereo sound
built-in speakers
built-in 2x CD-ROM drive
a second battery (added $75 to base)
a 28.8 PCMCIA modem card (added $195 to base)
no infrared port