Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!decwrl!world!bzs From: bzs@world.std.com (Barry Shein) Newsgroups: comp.arch Subject: Re: OS cost component of workstation Message-ID: Date: 9 Nov 90 01:30:10 GMT References: <2840@crdos1.crd.ge.COM> <1990Nov6.222057.17797@ico.isc.com> <2855@crdos1.crd.ge.COM> Sender: bzs@world.std.com (Barry Shein) Organization: The World Lines: 35 In-Reply-To: davidsen@crdos1.crd.ge.COM's message of 7 Nov 90 14:52:22 GMT You can buy a Sun3/50 these days for about $1200 max (under $1000 if you work at it.) That's a 4MB 68020 with ethernet, SCSI, and two serial ports, 1150x900 monochrome, keyboard, mouse. An OS license is bundled (I believe it's transferable, if not I think single user is something like $495 with docs.) Now to that you can add a 327MB Wren-IV for around $1500, that's $2700 or about $3200 with the OS. If the OS is bundled then you can throw in a tape device (e.g. a used 60MB QIC-24 can probably be had for $500, I know new ones go for around $750.) So how far off are we? Or does it have to be x86 for some reason I'm missing? That's a very solid Unix workstation environment. For an additional $1200 you can probably find a color Sun3/60 which is expandable to 24MB (about $2500 for the base system), that might be a used price (is that cheating if there were sources for a lot of them?) An on-site service contract for my 3/60HM with 327MB disk, 60MB tape is about $135/mo. I suspect you could find depot service for under $100 from one of the third-party service orgs (you probably don't want service people coming into your bedroom anyhow.) Actually,my contract is written for a color monitor as that's what they would probably give me if my hi-res (1280x1600) ever dies, which was ok by me (they didn't have a price for an HM, and doubted they'd have stock on the day it ever died..) ??? -- -Barry Shein Software Tool & Die | {xylogics,uunet}!world!bzs | bzs@world.std.com Purveyors to the Trade | Voice: 617-739-0202 | Login: 617-739-WRLD