Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!casbah.acns.nwu.edu!ftpbox!motsrd!motcid!gulik From: gulik@motcid.UUCP (Gregory Gulik) Newsgroups: comp.sys.att Subject: Re: 3b2 suitable home computer? CHEAP! Message-ID: <4972@melon11.UUCP> Date: 23 Apr 91 17:42:14 GMT References: <1991Apr19.105712.13001@cinnet.com> Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Div., Arlington Heights, IL Lines: 43 wilk@cinnet.com (Ken Wilkinson) writes: > > We have at work 2-3b2-400's and a 300 which are surplus. > I called a used computer dealer (Computer Horizons) to get > a price. He said that with the expected merger of the > ATT and NCR businesses, that suddenly the WHOLE WORLD > is dumping these beast! He only "offered" $500 for three 3b2's > and three terminals. Now I'm wondering if maybe I should take > these beast home (and give some to my employees). What would the > net consensue be for these as a home computer? What is the MIPS > value? The version of th operating system is SYSV rel 2.2 I think. > Could a latest version be found and for how much? Do I really want > to do this or not? Suggestions? Lucky you! I've been running a 3B2/300 at home for almost 2 years. The biggest problem with them is that it takes so long to boot up and shutdown. You can't (as in physically) just turn off the thing! It does take about a minute to power down. That's why I decided to start up a public access Unix site with it! It's been running almost continuously for the last year and a half. Unfortunately, I started having some hardware problems lately, but were very easy to fix. Heck, at those prices, pick up two! The downside is that the machines are VERY slow. The 300 does about a MIP, and the 400 does almost 2 (but can be tweaked to be faster than that). If you don't want them, contact me and I might buy them off of you, or at least buy off some of the accessories. -greg -- -- Gregory A. Gulik mcdchg!motcid!gulik || greg@gagme.chi.il.us || gulik@depaul.edu