Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!samsung!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!cica!iuvax!bsu-cs!mseidle From: mseidle@bsu-cs.bsu.edu (Mike Seidle) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: Hmm... Wonder what this is? Keywords: RISC, RS/6000 Message-ID: <11068@bsu-cs.bsu.edu> Date: 14 Apr 90 17:40:49 GMT References: <186@tropez.UUCP> Distribution: comp Organization: CS Dept, Ball St U, Muncie, IN, USA Lines: 41 In article <186@tropez.UUCP>, dlucy@tropez.UUCP (Doug Lucy) writes: > In article , nforcer@pawl.rpi.edu (Paul J Stewart) writes: > > I just got a letter from IBM concerning a demonstration of their latest in > > workstations, the RS/6000. > > DO any of you know o the RS/6000, > > How about a line of Unix (AIX) computers for use as workstations and > file servers. The botoom-of-the-line is the PowerStation 320 > > $14,995 (that's right, $14,995) > And the top-of-the-line FileStation (?) has 43 MIPS. I wonder if > these thigns actually work. According to IBM Update (that wonderfull self-proclaiming shareholder's update), the entry lever RS6000 costs 12,995, and comes in a case which makes the PS/2 box look like a modern masterpeice (that box is UGLY). As far as the thing working goes, I don't know... Sounds like its too good to be true... The real significance of the RS is the MicroChannel bus. Its my understanding that it will take the same boards that the PS2's take and doubles the bandwidth on RS specific boards. Looks like IBM has some big plans for MCA after all... One problem with the RS6000 series is the OS - AIX. If it does not support multiple processors, part of the microChannel edge will be lost. (Eg. no quick expansions to, say, two POWER processors) Just a random thought, but could IBM be secretly planning to pull the rug out from under microsoft and Intel by dropping the 320's price down to PS2 territory after software starts to appear ? One more random thought: the RS 320's 110meg harddrive sounds a little smallish for a RISC based UNIX box... I thought IBM already learned this lesson... Oh well... mike - BSU