Re: New P90 Iron

[Jordan Fox]

One problem with this idea is that I was planning to specify a partic-
ular case and power supply, along with everything else. Also, with some
well-loaded P5/90 systems edging down towards the $2K. price point, I'm not
sure getting just the box w/ PCI motherboard + memory at that price is an
attractive value. A big problem is going to be trying to get a very long list
of specified components _along with_
a good warranty that everything will work together. I'm hoping for a year of
onsite service as part of that.

However, I do endorse your choice of Micropolis and Future Domain. Saw a demo
at Comdex in which the Micropolis AV-tuned drives were thrashing SeaGate
Barracudas et al in running full-frame digital video: smooth, continuous motion
vs. herky-jerky stop and start. The demo may well have been skewed in their
favor, but it was impressive. I'm leaning towards their 1.5 gig SCSI model.
For video, probably the new Herc 968-based Terminator, or the 128 bit #Nine.
The system will probably have 32 meg.s.

I would really like to have a hardware-based Ramdisk, whose contents can
survive a Reset. (Maybe I'm still thinking in terms of crashes and lockups,
which supposedly will no longer be a factor once I've switched to OS/2 ...) {I
really liked the Boca board I had years ago on my old Zenith XT. Although they
still make the model that was intended for ATs, I imagine it would be far too
slow to have in a P5 system.}

One drawback to regular attendance at Fall Comdex is a bad case of "hardware
envy." Though delighted with the 17" Nanao monitor I got right after last
Jan.'s earthquake destroyed the NEC I'd been using for years, I saw a couple of
the new Nanao models at the show that really eclipse it. Ah, well . . . .