Moderate environmental conditions. Protect your computer from extremes in temperature, humidity, dust, and smoke. Avoid direct sunlight or any other source of heat. High humidity also hinders operation, so select a cool, dry area.

Appropriate power sources. To prevent static charges, connect all your equipment to 3-prong, 120-volt grounded outlets. You need one outlet for the computer, one for the monitor, and additional outlets for a printer and any other peripherals. You can plug one peripheral into the auxiliary power outlet on the back panel of the Equity 386, reducing the number of wall outlets you need.

No electromagnetic interference. Locate your system away from any electrical device, such as a telephone, that generates an electromagnetic field.

3 Connecting a Monitor

The procedure you use to connect your monitor to the computer depends on the type of monitor you have. See your monitor manual for detailed instructions or follow the general guidelines below.

The monitor type must match the video card in the computer. If you have a color card, you can use one of three connectors: a nine-pin, female D-shell connector for an RGB monitor, an RCA connector for a composite video monitor, or a 15-pin female D-shell connector for a VGA monitor. Check the following table to make sure your card and monitor match.

1-4 Setting Up Your System