Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!att!linac!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!crdgw1!crdos1!davidsen
From: davidsen@crdos1.crd.ge.COM (Wm E Davidsen Jr)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: OS cost component of workstation
Message-ID: <2855@crdos1.crd.ge.COM>
Date: 7 Nov 90 14:52:22 GMT
References: <2840@crdos1.crd.ge.COM> <1990Nov6.222057.17797@ico.isc.com>
Reply-To: davidsen@crdos1.crd.ge.com (bill davidsen)
Organization: GE Corp R&D Center, Schenectady NY
Lines: 23

In article <1990Nov6.222057.17797@ico.isc.com> rcd@ico.isc.com (Dick Dunn) writes:

| The problem is X.  You can have a good, *real* UNIX machine for well under
| $2000 for hardware as long as you don't want X.  A 386SX has enough power,
| 4 Mb is plenty of memory, and an 80-100 Mb disk will do.

  Remember, the idea of project cheap-ix is to have a practical system
which will cost about the same as a color X terminal (and could
therefore be bought by may with X-terminal budget).

  You can certainly scale back the level of performance and capability
to reduce the price, but there are a lot of cheap systems which will
function well in "glass tty" mode now.

  I really believe that by March I will be able to publish a list of
parts and vendors which will allow the average user to assemble a
machine which runs color X at useful speed, includes the fun parts of
UNIX, and will cost less than $3000 in at most quantity three. Hopefully
Q1 if I can convince a few vendors to run promotional deals for
"cheap-ix" configurations.
-- 
bill davidsen	(davidsen@crdos1.crd.GE.COM -or- uunet!crdgw1!crdos1!davidsen)
      The Twin Peaks Halloween costume: stark naked in a body bag