Re: To Slot or Not To Slot (was Re: Ultima 6)

[EFranks@msn.com (Edward Franks)]

>In article <MPG.ccb655ca6fabed9989683@news.ponyexpress.net>,
>xyzzy@ponyexpress.net (Edward Franks) writes:
>
>>RUBYWAND says...
>>
>>[Snip]
>>
>>>     The notion that a computer needs Slots to support major upgrades is
>>> passe'. For example, Pentium 166 motherboards now sell for about the
>>> same as the top PC Video cards. Slots are necessary; but, it makes sense
>>> to put all major systems on the motherboard and just swap-in mb's every
>>> 2-4 years.
>>> 
>>
>>	Shades of the original Mac!  Slots are *not* passe.  Slots allow a
>>microcomputer to have an open architecture.  A micro without slots only 
>>is as good as the original hardware designer.  A micro with slots can be 
>>more than what the hardware designer envisioned.
[Snip]

>    Catchy! However, there is a big difference between "no Slots" and "no
>Slots for major upgrades".
[Snip]

	Your are right but that is not the point I am arguing.  I'm not talking
about upgrading major subsystems.  I'm talking about adding capability the
original hardware designers didn't think of, for example, network 
cards, micro-
to-mini/mainframe cards, additional serial/parallel ports.
	I want slots on my PC so that I can add features not in the original design.
For example, I have added HardCards (hard disks on a card) to 
original IBM PCs (two floppy systems) because that was more 
ecomonical than buying a new PC (just for the hard drive).

	A flexible system trades performance for expandability.  In my case 
flexibility is more important than absolute performance because I 
need a PC that can adapt to the job I am working on at the time.

	If you need absolute performance then the idea of everything on the 
motherboard might work, but remember IBM's PS/2 line.  It had the 
graphics controller on the motherboard (VGA) which means that when 
SVGA games started coming out you couldn't upgrade your video.  You 
had to buy a new PC even if all of the other components were adequate 
to the task.

Edward