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Date:13-Aug-88  17:04:37
Fm: Bob Kaputa 76701,300

To update the PC-Sprint review....

   1.) The Mod is available for the 1000A.

   2.) EXEC-PC no longer handles sales of PC-Sprint. They will cheerfully give
you the number of the company who does:

               DAS Technologies, Inc.
               340 W. University Dr.  Suite 17
               Mesa, AZ   85201
               (602) 844-1777




                                PC-SPRINT 1000
                                        by Charles Robertson

    PC-SPRINT  is  a  hardware speed-up modification kit  for  the  "original"
series of the T1K's.  It is noted several times through the documentation that
it WILL not work on the "A" series.
    PC-SPRINT comes complete with two processors,  a  V20  and a 8088-2,   two
crystals,  a  "chip remover", and a small circuit board.  The instructions are
clear and concise for the step by step conversion including eight drawings  to
clarify some of the steps.
    The first step is quite easy,  finding out which of the two new processors
you  can use.  (One or the other must be used for the speed-up to work at all)
Starting with the V20, you swap your current 8088 and reboot.  This is to test
if  your T1K will run with the V20.   I  ran several of my usual programs  and
everything checked out.  The V20 will provide the fastest speed-up if your T1K
can handle it.
    The second step is also simple.  First you decide,  which "speed"  crystal
you want to try.  (The two crystals give your T1K an effective speed of 6.67mH
or  7.37mH depending on which one your T1k can handle...swapping the  crystals
is  a  simple  task later)  You plug the crystal selected into  the  PC-SPRINT
board,  pull the clock chip from your motherboard,  plug it into the small PC-
SPRINT  board,   and  plug the jumper from the PC-SPRINT board back  into  the
former clock chip socket. The small PC-SPRINT board has two foam "feet" on the
bottom and just sits on top of the motherboard.
    If you have a memory board the last step can be a bit taxing.  Hanging off
the  PC-SPRINT board are two sets of wires.  One set is connected to a  switch
which  you  mount somewhere on your T1K's case and is used to switch from  the
normal speed of 4.77mH to the boost speed. The other wire has a small plunger-
clip attached to it and SHOULD be connected to your expanded memory board.  If
you  have Radio Shack's 25-1004  memory board,  the instructions give you  the
proper connecting point.
    For  this  final step you must pull out the card which contains  your  DMA
chip  and  cover  one  of the connection points with a  small  piece  of  tape
(supplied).   The most difficult part for some maybe the next step of  tracing
the connection,  you just covered, to the first leg of the first chip it hits.
I  suggest that you do several "tracings"  and see if you keep coming up  with
the same point.  I FINALLY did and was right.  (I understand that you can call
and  get very good tech support if you feel you need help during any of  these
steps.)
    I  have been running at (advertised)  7.37mH now for several weeks with no
major problems. One minor glitch, for those of you who turn off your computers
when  not  in use,  a  power-up boot fills the screen with garbage and give  a
message of "Memory Error"...however hitting the red RESET button moves my  T1K
right  along through it's paces.  When exiting PC-PAINTBRUSH at high speed  my
T1K sometimes gives the message "Invalid COMMAND.COM...System Halted". I  have
yet  to find any program that chokes on "boost",  at that...you just flip  the
speed switch if one does...even while the program is running!
    Unfortunately  I  don't  have  the Norton Utilities  to  give  a  standard
reference  number.   However a set of speed test programs gave  the  following
results as referenced to a standard IBM-PC/XT.  With the switch at NORMAL, the
speed rating was 95%-97%; with the switch at BOOST, the speed rating was 245%-
252%.
    PC-SPRINT cost is $99 and can be ordered through EXEC-PC Inc., Post Office
Box 11268, Shorewood, WI, 53211 ... or ... by  calling 414/242-2173.
    PC-SPRINT  also comes with a "free trial offer"  (week's  membership)   to
EXEC-PC BBS. This is NOT just another BBS, EXEC-PC has 16 phone lines that can
be simultaneously used,  323Mb of programs available for download,  and can be
accessed through TELENET's PC-PURSUIT program.  PC-PURSUIT's cost is $25/month
for as many hours as you want.