Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ncar!boulder!seri!wind55!marshall
From: marshall@wind55.seri.gov (Marshall L. Buhl)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: How many PCs and Macs
Keywords: PC, Macs installed (Now using XT's as terminals)
Message-ID: <1990May3.180732.22150@seri.gov>
Date: 3 May 90 18:07:32 GMT
References: <28343@ut-emx.UUCP> <361@newave.UUCP> <54431@microsoft.UUCP> <384@newave.UUCP>
Sender: news@seri.gov (news [NO CHARGE])
Organization: Solar Energy Research Institute
Lines: 27

john@newave.UUCP (John A. Weeks III) writes:

>In article <54431@microsoft.UUCP> jamesth@microsoft.UUCP (James THIELE) writes:
>> Currently about 30 million Messy DOS compat. machines world-wide.

>I heard that number too just recently.  I would suspect that about a fourth
>to a third of these are the earlier models that are no longer in use.  I 
>would also venture that the early MS-DOS only machines (no PC-DOS or BIOS
>compatibility) are also collecting dust.  I know we have a bunch of 128K
>4.77MHz machines that we have determined are not even worth the time to
>look at, let alone use or upgrade.  I'm sure that this can be said about
>the Mac 128's and many 512's, and most of the 9 million C-64's.

I found a great use for these old XT's.  We use them as consoles for our
big *nix boxes.  I use Crosstalk and put it in capture mode.  This is great
for keeping a permanent record of console error messages and even for
documenting system administration duties.

If I add a hard disk to my *nix box, all the commands I had to enter (and
the responses) are recorded.  Then when I want to repeat the effort a year
later, I know exactly what to do and don't have to pour though all those
poorly written *nix manuals to refresh my memory.
--
Marshall L. Buhl, Jr.                EMAIL: marshall@seri.gov
Senior Computer Engineer             VOICE: (303)231-1014
Wind Research Branch                 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO  80401-3393
Solar Energy Research Institute      Solar - safe energy for a healthy future