sad sad sad

[Colin McGregor]

"James Knott" <james.knott-bJEeYj9oJeDQT0dZR+AlfA at public.gmane.org> on Monday, October 20, 2003 9:29 PM
wrote:

> Colin McGregor wrote:
> > "James Knott" <james.knott-bJEeYj9oJeDQT0dZR+AlfA at public.gmane.org> on Monday, October 20, 2003 8:48
PM
>
> >>Wasn't the reason for that, so that motherboard manufacturer could
> >>quickly adapt a 286 motherboard to the new chip?
> >
> >
> > More-or-less, yes. The '386SX internally was a 32 bit CPU, but it talked
to
> > the world as if it were a 16 bit chip (unlike the '386DX chip that was
32
> > bits inside and out). This meant that many of the (by then) cheap
support
> > chips that had been developed for the '286 chips could be re-used in
'386SX
> > designs.
> >
> > Me, I bought a '386SX-25  based box, and admittedly it didn't have the
speed
> > of the '386DX, but it did run Windows 3.1 and later Yggdrasil Linux
just
> > fine.
>
> My 3rd computer was a 386DX-33 & 4 MB.  I soon upgraded to 8 MB and
> later replace the motherboard with a 486DX2-66.  I ran OS/2 on that box
> for almost 10 years.  I still use the keyboard that came with it, with
> my Athlon XP 1700 system.
>
> My 1st computer was an Imasi 8080, with an 8080 CPU and my 2nd was an XT
> clone, in which I replaced the 8088, with a V20.  I currently have 6 or
> so computers hanging around here.  All but one are on the network,
> though not all turned on.  My old 486 nee 386 is out in the breakfast
> nook (read junk storage area <g>).

My first computer was a Commodore 64, then an Amiga 1000 (my 1st PC
compatible (8088 emulation on a 68000 chip, it worked, but it was slow and
UGLY)), then a '286 based PC, then a CP/M based laptop, and then the '386SX.
Of note it wasn't until earlier this year that I got rid of the case that
came with the '386SX box, I just kept replacing the motherboards, in the end
that case had a Pentium II 350 MHz CPU in it. What did that case in at the
end was it's lack of provision for PS/2 style keyboard/mouse ports,
otherwise I would likely have continued to just replace the motherboard (it
was a nice solidly built case).

Colin McGregor

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