Laurie's comment apply only to the low cost Dell Dimension range. The Dell Optiplex range (as supplied by AAH Meditel) continue to have two serial ports.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ewan Davis
AAH Meditel - Voice +44 (1) 527 579414 Fax +44(1)527 837287
Email [log in to unmask] also at [log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: Laurie Miles [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, May 19, 1998 10:06 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: USB's
All new Dell PCs come with only one Serial port. I roasted them when I discovered this, as it is not obvious anywhere in their literature that this is so. Their excuse was that the serial port has been superceded by the USB (but virtually no hardware for it yet) and that there was not a great demand for it from customers. I eventually was offered 50% of the cost of an add-on serial card - which I didn't take up as I had an old (but fast) Hayes ISA serial card. So be warned - if you want/need two serial ports, get the company to put it in writing that their PC has 2 serial ports. Incidentally, I cannot get the serial version of multiplayer Starcraft working, which I suspect is due to the mother board thinking it has two COM2 ports on it (one hidden on the motherboard, the other the ISA card).
All Gateways still have 2 serial ports (apart from their laptops)
Laurie Miles
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|