> -- the first reason is that there are plenty of 386 out there, and, in
> fact, they are all the more sufficient for what we do 95% of the time.
> I am personnaly a researcher in cryptography, and I so run sometimes
> some programs for two or three weeks; but my pentium is way too
> powerful for everyday life, which is namely email reading and,
> on times to times, word processing. I would still be happy with
> a 386. Ten years ago, such a beast was considered as rather good.
> It still is. It has not changed. Only there are better processors
> available.
I second that motion! I feel sick seeing people spend all kinds of money
on a p200/32ram 4gig hd when all they are going to do is wordprocess.. A
task that could be adaquetly done on a XT at the wapping price of $5 at a
yard sale.. Or using the 'NET which can be done GREAT on a 386...
386es are BLAZINGLY FAST for most purposes.. And a network of 50 or so
fast 386es easly out price/performs a single pentium system.. I've had a
network of old 386es I saved from the dumpster put out nearly a half
million rc5 keys a second.. It cost me under a $100 dollars to get them
up.. My MUCH more expensive dual 200 is just able to do that...