Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!ncar!gatech!prism!dali.gatech.edu!ken
From: ken@dali.gatech.edu (Ken Seefried iii)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Unix memory (was: Re: 386 configuration tradeoffs)
Message-ID: <24763@hydra.gatech.EDU>
Date: 20 Mar 91 22:00:56 GMT
References: <1335@b1.babss.UUCP> <27534@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU>
Sender: news@prism.gatech.EDU
Reply-To: ken@dali.gatech.edu (Ken Seefried iii)
Organization: The House Of Fun
Lines: 40

In article <27534@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU> jdb@reef.cis.ufl.edu (Brian K. W. Hook) writes:
>
>UNIX?  At a reasonable price?!  Good luck....
>

Highly dependent on the definition of reasonable...your mileage may
vary...

>
>|>Extra cache or extra main memory?
>
>Overall performance will suffer without enough main memory....immediate
>performance will suffer due to lack of cache.  Get a 64K cache at least,
>especially at 33 mhz.
>

As I said in my earlier reply, under Unix (and other multitasking
OSes), more cache does *not* mean better performance for any given job
mix.   The optimal amount of cache you need can only be determined
empiricly by close examination of what you do on the box...

>
>|>The High price system is of course the 386/33 Svga with 64k of cache
>|>and 4 mg memory. Svga color.
>
>Get 8MB for UNIX.  Period.  SCO Open Desktop requires 6MB just to LOAD...
>

This is absolutely not true.  ODT will load and run just fine in 4MB
of RAM, although slowly due to excessive paging if you are running X.
It will not load in 2MB...I've never tried 3MB.  I *think* the
ISC/ESIX/Microport crowd can load and run a basic system in 2MB, but
someone else will have to confirm this.  Something like Xenix will
certainly run in 2MB.

--
	 ken seefried iii	ken@dali.cc.gatech.edu

	"If 'ya can't be with the one you love, 
		   honey, love the one you're with..."