MANY people, the editors of Consumer Reports magazine included,
regard the Leading Edge Model D as the best bargain in the realm
of I.B.M. PC-compatible computers. However, some readers have
reported that when they get to the stores, they are shown the
Leading Edge Model M and told the machines are very similar.
While Leading Edge sells both the Model M and the Model D, that
is where the similarities end. They are very different machines
- the ''M'' ($1,695) is made by Mitsubishi of Japan, the ''D''
($1,495) by Daewoo of Korea - and they have different
capabilities. Yet when asked recently to describe the
differences between the two models, local sales clerks provided
an impressive variety of answers, most of them fanciful. It was
like going to a Ford dealer and being told that the racy Mustang
is just like the all-purpose Bronco, except that the upholstery
comes in different colors.  In This Corner, the M  The ''M'' is
powered by a two-speed Intel 8088-2 microprocessor that has been
customized by Mitsubishi