Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!visdc!jiii
From: jiii@visdc.UUCP (John E Van Deusen III)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: ADVICE NEEDED - MACHINE FOR EXPERT SYS. Development
Message-ID: <610@visdc.UUCP>
Date: 2 Aug 89 22:47:47 GMT
References: <442@cwjcc.CWRU.Edu>
Reply-To: jiii@visdc.UUCP (John E Van Deusen III)
Distribution: na
Organization: VI Software Development, Boise, Idaho
Lines: 30

In article <442@cwjcc.CWRU.Edu> hathi@colima.UUCP (Kamal Hathi) writes:
> I am looking to buy a machine for expert system development in an
> corporate environment.
> ...
> I would like some recommendations on which machine to buy. The budget
> is going to be around $20,000.

Please refer to the review of LISP compilers in the Volume 7, No 6, UNIX
REVIEW.  The price for Allegro CL from Franz, Inc. is quoted as starting
at $1500.  They say that it runs on a 386 PC, and the product is very
highly rated.

Next get a PC.  The ALR FlexCache 33/386Z lists for $3995.  Add a
SVGA monitor system for $1500 and a 300 MB Maxtor SCSI disk and Adaptec
controller for $3500.

The OS should run about $2,500.  I would get the SCO UNIX V/386,
because of the excellent development system.  See UNIX REVIEW, vol 7,
no. 8.

Anyway, that comes up to $13,000 bucks.  You have $7,000 left to buy
memory at $300/meg, a backup (I suggest a SCSI WORM drive), an ethernet
card, a mouse, and support.

You will probably hate the slowness of the VGA monitor system.  I would
prefer to hang an X terminal onto the ethernet.
--
John E Van Deusen III, PO Box 9283, Boise, ID  83707, (208) 343-1865

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