Configurations - 1988

• CPU: 20MHz 80286 with 134,000 transistors.
• Monitor: 13inch monichrome VGA (640 x 480)
• Graphic card: A few KBs to drive the graphics.
• Removable storage: 5.25inch floppy disk with 1.2 MB data. vulnerable to surface data loss and corruption.
• Modem: 1.2kbps to connect to a bulliten board. (No web yet).
• RAM: 640KB standard.
• Keyboard: Flat keyboard.Two mechanisms available - IBM "click" and "bottom out".
• Speakers/Multimedia: An internal speaker will squalk sounds (CD-ROMs and sound cards don't go mainstream until 1994)
• Interior and main casing: Casing either big or extra big (for more expansion cards). ISA 16MHz bus.
• Mouse: Standard two button (Why would you want one on a text based system?).
• Hard Disk: 40MB (20MB standard).
• Software: MS-DOS (uses 640KB memory and 8.3 file naming), Text based applications.Problems - read the 8cm thick manuals!

(1998 Dec/99 Jan) Kane, P.