Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!aplcen!jhunix!barrett From: barrett@jhunix.HCF.JHU.EDU (Dan Barrett) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: NeXT vs. Amiga ad infinitum. Message-ID: <7100@jhunix.HCF.JHU.EDU> Date: 10 Dec 90 17:27:18 GMT References: Organization: The Johns Hopkins University - HCF Lines: 67 In article WHE46@CCVAX.IASTATE.EDU (Marc Barrett) writes: >ISU is getting ... DECStation 2100 systems from DEC for approximately $3000 >each. These...include a 104M hard drive, 12M of RAM, 19" 1280x1024 >monochrome monitor, ethernet connectivity, and (of course) ULTRIX and >DECWindows (derivitives of UNIX, X-Windows, and Display PostScript). So go buy one yourself, Marc. What? You mean that price is not available to individuals? Just institutions? Oh well. But suppose you manage to get one anyway, somehow. Try to run DECwindows. What? Your workstation is going SWAP SWAP SWAP SWAP so much that applications are loading SLOW SLOW SLOW? Didn't DEC tell you that 12 MB is not enough to run DECwindows comfortably? After all, the ordinary "dxterm" program is almost THREE MEGABYTES in size. Open 4 of these windows, and you have used ALL your available RAM. DEC charges about $2000 for 4 MB RAM. Better shop around.... Suppose you get your RAM and things seems smoother. Start developing a program. What? There are OS files missing? Of course: you didn't have enough room on your disk! The OS take up 70-150 MB. And they recommend 48 MB swap space (3x available memory). And you really don't get 104 MB; more like 96 MB once the filesystem is made. So, you hook up your DS2100 to a fileserver machine, or buy some more disk space. Add more $$$$. And now you may have to deal with the SLOWNESS of NFS (network file system) for remote disk access. OK... so suppose you get everything the way you like it. One day, your monitor blows, or the CPU board goes bad. Ever calculate the price of a repair for DEC equipment?? You will go RUNNING back to your Amiga, full of apology and shame. Marc, you just don't know what you are talking about sometimes. You can't just praise one company and bash another, unless you point out the good and bad points of BOTH companies. It just isn't fair. >...DEC's [stability and] proven track record in the workstation market. DEC is not the world's most stable company, either. First of all, they have to deal with a large, internal split between the Ultrix and the VMS people. You would not believe how much trouble this can cause the end user. Don't believe me? Ask a DEC salesperson why the supplied "troff" doesn't work under RISC Ultrix 4.0. "Proven track record?" If you want a list of idiotic workstation design decisions made by DEC, just ask any Ultrix administrator what "DMS" is. :-) LACK OF DISCLAIMER: I am the UNIX systems administrator of a network of DECstation 3100's. DISCLAIMER: DEC is OK. They are not the worst company, nor the best company. Like all companies, and all equipment, they have their problems. But it is stupid to praise one company over another without pointing out both company's faults. Dan Barrett (No relation!) //////////////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ | Dan Barrett, Department of Computer Science Johns Hopkins University | | INTERNET: barrett@cs.jhu.edu | | | COMPUSERVE: >internet:barrett@cs.jhu.edu | UUCP: barrett@jhunix.UUCP | \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\/////////////////////////////////////