                             EPSON AMERICA, INC.
                          Product Support Bulletin


           Subject: Equity/Apex Compatibility with the SOTA 386si

Date:    3/02/90                                        PSB No:   S-0111
Page: 1 of 3                                            Originator: KAS

The purpose of this bulletin is to provide the 80386 Accelerator board test 
results, conducted by the Computer Product Support Center, involving the 
SOTA 386si from SOTA Technology, Inc.

The Equity models tested were the Equity I, Equity II Equity I+ and Equity Ie.
The Apex models tested were the Apex, Apex Plus and Apex 100. All were 
tested with Norton Utilities and MS-DOS.

The table below shows compatibility and the Norton SI rating of the
various systems.

Model       Norton SI       Compatibility

Equity I      12.0      Functioned normally with Norton Utilities and
                        MS-DOS 2.11

Equity l+   12.0/16.9   Functioned normally with MS-DOS 3.3 and
                        Norton Utilities at both CPU speeds.

Equity le      N/A      Unable to boot at 10MHz. Performance
                        erratic at 4.77MHz

Equity ll     14.3      Functioned normally with MS-DOS 3.2 and
                        Norton Utilities. (Tested only at 7.16MHz.)

Apex          15.9      Unable to boot at 4.77MHz. Functioned
                        normally at 8MHz with MS- DOS 3.2 and
                        Norton Utilities.

Apex Plus     11.5      Unable to boot at 9.54MHz. Functioned
                        normally at 4.77MHz with MS- DOS 3.2 and
                        Norton Utilities.

Apex 100    12.0/16.9   Functioned normally with MS-DOS 3.3 and
                        Norton Utilities.

                                                        PSB No: S-0111
                                                        Page: 2 of 3


Installation of the board in most of the units was quick and simple to do when 
following the installation instructions accompanying the boards. Installation of 
the SOTA 386si in the Equity I and the Equity II is rather difficult. Due to the
amount of disassembly required, we strongly recommend that only Authorized
Service Centers install the board in the Equity I and Equity II.

Installation Instructions

Equity I

1. Remove the following from the main unit: 
a) upper case 
b) rear panel 
c) front panel 
d) FDD/power supply block.

2. Follow instructions for a standard installation for the SOTA 386si in an 
8088-based system. Take care to fold the SOTA connector cable so as 
not to prevent reassembly. The cable is sturdy and will tolerate being 
folded.

3. Reassemble the main unit and go through the testing and initialization 
procedure outlined in the SOTA manual.


Equity II

1. Remove the following from the main unit: 
a) upper case 
b) rear panel 
c) front panel 
d) FDD/power supply block.

2. Follow instructions for a standard installation for the SOTA 386si in an 
8086 based system. Take care to fold the SOTA connector cable so as
not to prevent reassembly. This will necessitate routing the cable so that it 
does not conflict with the power connection to the main system board. 
The cable is sturdy and will tolerate being folded.

3. Reassemble the main unit and go through the testing and initialization 
procedure outlined in the SOTA manual.



                                                        PSB No: S - 0111
                                                        Page: 3 of 3


Our Computer Product Support Center receives numerous calls requesting 
information and recommendations on 80386 Accelerator boards for use with the 
Equity and Apex (8088-and 8086-based) personal computers.

We have found that the SOTA 386si may meet your requirements and are 
competitively priced!

Although these boards were tested by qualified product support specialists, 
Epson America makes no representations that these third party products are 
compatible with all hardware configurations or software applications.

We recommend that you certify these products with your specific hardware and 
software requirements and consult with the third party vendor to ensure reliable 
operation.

SOTA Technology can be reached at:

        SOTA Technology, Inc.
        657 N. Pastoria Ave.
        Sunnyvale, CA 94086
        Phone: (800) 237-1713
