Slightly off topic: bare iron, or Three Geeks and a Goat

[Patricia M Godfrey pmgodfrey@xxxxxxxx]

I have sung the praises of buying one's systems from local or mail-order
dealers before on this list, so I think I should add a few caveats. First
of all, some of the dealers who are starting up are neither as
knowledgeable nor as honest as they should be, so it behooves one to
check references. Second, one must know what one is getting and follow a
certain procedure:

1. Insist that you get a list of at least the model numbers, with chipset
numbers, of all component parts (well, you can probably skip floppies,
mouse, and keyboards, which are pretty much commodities); serial numbers
are even better. Also one or more CDs with the driver files for all
components.
2. If you are thinking of installing any opsys other than XP, you will
have to check and make sure that the particular hardware you are planning
to buy HAS drivers for the desired opsys. This may involve first getting
the spec sheet, then visiting the components' manufacturers' WebSites to
verify the existence of such drivers. (You may also find later drivers
than the one on your CD; download them.) By now, very few motherboards
are having 98 drivers written for them; more AMD-compatible boards seem
to than Intel ones.
3. The whole point of this exercise is to install the opsys yourself,
after having first partitioned the hard drive with FDISK. If you cannot
do that, you will need to have two hard drives, and use the second for
your DOS apps and data. (Actually, that is a BETTER modus operandi than
partitioning, but of course it costs more.)
4. If you go the 2-drive route and have the dealer install the opsys,
make sure that he either:
	4.1 Gives you a real Windows CD, not just a restore CD; or
	4.2 Puts the Cabinet files on the hard drive and gives you the install
key. Then, first thing, burn those CAB files to a CD-R (or two), write
down the install key, and store it in a file somewhere (on another system
or a floppy or CD).
5. The driver CD will have drivers for other components as well as those
in your system. Also possibly for other opsyses. Find the appropriate
ones, and copy them to the second drive or the second partition. If you
are installing the opsys yourself, install from there when the New
Hardware Wizard gives you the "have disk"option. Once everything is
installed, burn just those drivers to a CD. You do NOT want to search
through eight or nine deeply nested folders on the original CD looking
for the right driver.
Patricia