Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!bronze!silver!ntaib
From: ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Nur Iskandar Taib)
Subject: Re: 80386 accelarator cards for the 8088?
Message-ID: <1991Apr14.205640.21112@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu>
Sender: news@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu (USENET News System)
Organization: Indiana University, Bloomington
References: <1991Apr10.215938.10599@cbnewsk.att.com> <1991Apr11.041356.23936@agate.berkeley.edu> <1991Apr11.144655.13974@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu>
Distribution: usa
Date: Sun, 14 Apr 91 20:56:40 GMT
Lines: 51

*>>>	I have an old Zenith 8088 PC at home.  I was wondering if there are
*>>>any 386 accelarator cards for such a dinosaur.  The ultimate would be a card
*>>>that would take over the box upon boot.  It would also have onboard memory
*>>>(1 meg at least) and a 387 socket.  Does such a thing exist or will I have to
*>>>get a new home system?  If there are such cards, are there any
*>>>incompatibilities I need to know about?  Any pointers would be greatly
*>>>appreciated.  By the way, I'm not much of a MS-DOS hack, so please use short
*>>>words (grin).**

*>>A few years ago add-on 386 boards were (relatively) popular, but today*
*>>they've mostly died out.  The price of a 386 motherboard has decline*d
*>*>significantly so as to reduce the popularity of the add-on boards.  *IMHO
*>>you should can the motherboard and get a 386 motherboard for your sy*stem
*>>(be sure it fits in the chassis).
*>  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
*>I have only seen one old Zenith 8088-based model (a 151) with a 386
*>expansion card installed...and it was an expansion card, not a
*>Motherboard. The more popular models (148 & 158) are no more appropriate
*>for installation of a new MB than is the 151--as I said previously,
*>Zeniths are NOT generally hardware compatible (most use planar boards
*>rather than standard type MBs) and even if you were to install a 386
*>board in a 158 (the 148 is a lost cause) it would take CONSIDERABLE
*>modification. So unless you are also interested in sheet metal work and
*>the like, spend the $35 or so it takes to buy a new case. Silk purses
*>and sows' ears come to mind.....

The thing about mothe Zeniths is that they do 
not have motherboards, they use a passive back-
plane with a separate CPU card. Getting a 386
processor card won't work, as you'll end up 
with a 386 with an 8-bit bus. Besides you'll 
have to go to Zenith for the parts, if they 
do indeed exist. For the same reason, a clone
motherboard will likely not fit where the back-
plane went. 

Instead of stripping the machine for parts for
a 386, why not sell it or give it to the kids? 
It still works, and with older software would 
make a great machine for someone. Besides, the
parts you get out of it will be 1) older 2)
slow 3) won't save you as much as you'd make 
if you sold the machine as a working unit.


--
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Iskandar Taib                        | The only thing worse than Peach ala
Internet: NTAIB@AQUA.UCS.INDIANA.EDU |    Frog is Frog ala Peach
Bitnet:   NTAIB@IUBACS               !
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