#3DS&Pentium
I know about other magazines, and I know about PC Actual. Our
philosophy is oriented to the real user, and our tests are based in
real applications. While other people, like PC Magazine or Byte
(which are BIG companies) are starting to make "Real World" tests, we
have been doing it for years. I don't know what you understand with
"reviews never tell what we need to know", but for sure, you never
have read PC Actual, because it's national level and therefore,
althought it is owned by one of the major editorial and mass media
groups in the world, we don't have international projection. I can
assure you that our reviews are pretty oriented to the user and very
different from PC Mag and others. We have guides of analisys that our
readers, which gone from computer science students -in fact, we are
the first in the list in that population segment (PC Magazine, PC
World and Byte/Binary are a lot behind)- to the typical company and
professionals. We (must) care about prices, technical issues and real
world apps. I tell you that our point of view about information is a
lot different from the major computer mags in the world. And that is
the key for our success.
Here's my view about Compaq:
I will go Compaq because I know that, althought expensive (not that
expensive if you know how to do it :), it is a GREAT machine. I have
read a lot of tech info from Compaq on the Triflex architecture since
the first SystemPro equiped with that technology. Furthermore, I not
only have read about it, but experience it (whith abstract numbers
-CPU performance, HD subsystem, etc…- and with real world apps, as
real as 3dsr2 and Photoshop times). As I have said before: fast and
solid. The Triflex architecture, althought propietary, is a lot
flexible. And take all the power from the Pentium machine. I think
Compaq is a solid bet for today. Regarding the price, you have to see
it overall: get a Pentium for a cheap price, it's ok! later will come
the real price 🙂 It's the transaction cost, as well as the final
cost what you have to take in mind.
Also, you don't have to buy the entire machine. I have enough
monitors, enough graphics boards, etc… In fact, I'm going to buy
just the boxes, with the CPU board and 64MB and 32MB of RAM, and the
minimun IDE hard drive they have. I will put an Adaptec (compatible),
SCSI HD, and the rest of the system for different and "selected"
brands. I like the Triflex architecture and want to have a flexible
system, but I don't want to buy the full box form Compaq. I don't
like their propietary SCSIs, neither their QVisions nor their 21"
monitors. Later when I need more RAM, I will add the triflex
propietary memory board (from any mail store), and start to charge it
with 32MB SIMMs (but that will be after a long time <g>)
So why to spend in a generic motherboard, put it in a case and add all
the good components. I prefer to spend a little more in a great base
to start from. Then add the good components and then have a fast,
solid and reliable computer optimized for my needs.