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From: ajayshah@alhena.usc.edu (Ajay Shah)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Snakebytes (HP process technology)
Message-ID: <32352@usc>
Date: 27 Apr 91 07:05:59 GMT
References: <1991Apr17.153036.27373@ni.umd.edu> <00947448.7A748120@KING.ENG.UMD.EDU> <772@cadlab.sublink.ORG>
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In article <772@cadlab.sublink.ORG> martelli@cadlab.sublink.ORG (Alex Martelli) writes:
>I have not yet seen ONE Sun clone that is cheaper than a trueblue Sparcstation
>SLC from Sun itself (possibly with 3rd party 8->16 meg RAM expansion, and
>with a 3rd party external SCSI-connected box with disc/tape/whatever) - so
>much for 'affordable/cheaper/commodity' machines!

The SLC is truly a cheap machine.  But RAM <= 16Meg, no SBus
slots, 12.5 mips without expandability is not a solution for
everyone.  But it's really priced low -- just add up the cost of
the spare parts going into it (17" mono, 8Meg, etc.) and you have
it's University price of $2700.

The latest Unix World has an ad for what feels like a SS-II clone
(called SparcClone 2) for $8k. Now that makes sense -- Sun is
making a lot of money on the SS-II at $15k (try adding up spare
parts prices again).  It should be possible for a clonemaker to
beat 'em on price here handily.

There are a host of SS-1 clones at prices like $5k these days, a
market which Sun has essentially exited.

BTW, I just saw a SPARC clone built by Xerox at a USC Sun computer
fair.  That sounds rather important to me -- isn't a clone by
Xerox big news??

-- 
_______________________________________________________________________________
Ajay Shah, (213)734-3930, ajayshah@usc.edu
                             The more things change, the more they stay insane.
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