Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!alicudi.usc.edu!crum From: crum@alicudi.usc.edu (Gary L. Crum) Newsgroups: comp.sys.next Subject: Re: NeXT in June issue of BYTE Message-ID: Date: 27 May 91 18:01:28 GMT References: <1991May27.033207.28372@math.ucla.edu> Sender: news@usc Organization: University of Southern California Lines: 32 Nntp-Posting-Host: alicudi.usc.edu In-reply-to: barry@pico.math.ucla.edu's message of 27 May 91 03:32:07 GMT Originator: crum@alicudi.usc.edu In article <1991May27.033207.28372@math.ucla.edu> barry@pico.math.ucla.edu (Barry Merriman) writes: > PS: The lead story in the News column is on the ACE Consortium, > which consists of Microsoft, a bunch of PC cloners, and DEC, > and whose stated goal is to define an Industry Standard Workstation, > in order to ease future networking and software engineeering. Here's the ACE member to watch: Silicon Graphics. (That name used to be spelled SiliconGraphics, without the space.) In my opinion, computers from NeXT and SiliconGraphics and the companies themselves are similar in many high-level ways. Both offer powerful and elegant platforms which are particularly good for developers (including science research groups not developing applications to sell). And, both Steve Jobs and Jim Clark seem to have the vision of making new types of technology very accessible. Both NeXT and Silicon Graphics seem to be ready to introduce multiprocessing in relatively low-end systems ($3,000 - $10,000) within a year -- multiprocessing with a UNIX-like system call interfaces for controlling multiple processors, that is. The Silicon Graphics operating system, IRIX, currently runs on multiprocessor systems (up to 8 processors) that cost around $100,000. NeXT Mach is probably not too far behind IRIX even though NeXT does not currently support a multiprocessor configuration. Other companies (BBN, Encore?) have used Mach for multiprocessor UNIX-like systems. Does anyone know of other companies is as good positions as NeXT and Silicon Graphics to offer multiprocessor systems (with a single system call interface for all processors) for particularly low prices? Are some already available? Gary