Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ncar!boulder!gore!jacob
From: jacob@gore.com (Jacob Gore)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: Pee Cee emulation on the NeXT
Message-ID: <130025@gore.com>
Date: 5 Oct 89 05:08:28 GMT
References: <1989Oct3.212426.795@i-core.UUCP>
Reply-To: jacob@gore.com (Jacob Gore)
Organization: Gore Enterprises
Lines: 31

/ comp.sys.next / pete@i-core.UUCP (Pete Ashdown) / Oct  3, 1989 /

> I currently run a public BBS on an IBM AT. [...]
> However, if I was able to sell my system, it would be a
> big step towards buying a NeXT.  I would still want to run my same BBS
> and essentially, that would be Pee Cee emulation on the NeXT.  I have
> seen pictures of it being done on the Sparcstation and I'd imagine that
> the NeXT could do an IBM AT imitation quite well.  The question is, is
> anyone going to do it?

A Sparcstation has a considerably faster CPU than the NeXT (especially in
low context switching situations, such as running just one process, such as
an emulator), and still the PC emulator you get on it is on the slow side.
Same goes for the Sun-386i, and that even uses the '86 mode (whatever it's
called) of the chip, instead of emulating it in software.  You'll probably
get as good or better performance out of a $750 XT clone.

And if somebody does make an emulator for the NeXT, it will probably cost
more than an XT clone anyway.

> It would be incredibly convenient for me to tuck my BBS in a corner of
> the NeXT rather than tuck my IBM in the corner of my room :-).

But not nearly as cost-effective.  I'd consider selling the AT and buying
an XT clone in addition to the NeXT.  Assuming, of course, that you get
enough margin between the cost of the AT and the XT clone to make that
trade worthwhile.

Jacob
--
Jacob Gore		Jacob@Gore.Com			boulder!gore!jacob