Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!julius.cs.uiuc.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!news.iastate.edu!exnet.iastate.edu!i1neal From: i1neal@exnet.iastate.edu (Neal Rauhauser -- ELT Computer Applications Group) Newsgroups: comp.unix.sysv386 Subject: Re: Need Recommendations On 386/486 UNIX systems Keywords: unix, 386/486 Message-ID: <1990Dec18.002013.28881@news.iastate.edu> Date: 18 Dec 90 00:20:13 GMT References: <8204@uwm.edu> Sender: news@news.iastate.edu (USENET News System) Reply-To: i1neal@exnet.iastate.edu (Neal Rauhauser -- ELT Computer Applications Group) Organization: Iowa State University Extension Lines: 22 I have $10k budgeted to build a system to handle 10 - 15 concurrent users. There will be 8 - 16 serial ports and a 1.5 MHz T1 line. Users will be running a news reader and downloading information, not much else will be occuring on the system. I'm not the least bit scared of PC hardware but my only unix admin experience has been on my 'mighty but erratic' coherent/286 system and a LMI Lambda - toy unix in both cases. I need suggestions on the following: 1. processor speed, 386 or 486, cache sizes? 2. system ram, 12 meg? 16 meg? more? 3. disk controller? Adaptec 1740? 4. 16 port serial card? 5. the best worm or MO disk with worm capabilities - necessary for legal/archive purposes The most importatn question in my mind is what processor/speed and how much memory I should use. Mail replies and I'll post a summary. Neal i1neal@exnet.iastate.edu