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From: works@ucbvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: mod.computers.workstations
Subject: Re: Help needed with configuring Suns
Message-ID: <8602210137.AA24713@caip.rutgers.edu>
Date: Wed, 19-Feb-86 00:31:13 EST
Article-I.D.: caip.8602210137.AA24713
Posted: Wed Feb 19 00:31:13 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 22-Feb-86 02:19:01 EST
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Reply-To: maryland!mark (Mark Weiser)
Organization: The ARPA Internet
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Approved: works@red.rutgers.edu

In article <176@hscfvax.UUCP> pavlov@hscfvax.UUCP writes:
>  Likewise, I would appreciate information/thoughts/etc on using a
>  3/160 or 3/180 "server" as a general-purpose time-sharing machine
>  (eventually part of a network of other machines, including
>  "traditional" Sun workstation configurations).  Comparisons to
>  VAXen or multi-user HP9000 (series 500) would have the most
>  meaning for me.
>
One problem with Suns as general time-sharing machines is relatively
slow terminal i/o.  I believe I read a Sun spec which only promised
4800 baud continuous output (9600 baud input).  I can confirm that
when my Sun is handling 4800 baud the number of interrupts shoots
through the roof.  Perhaps there are smarter boards on the way, but
where our 780 supports 80 terminals, I wouldn't want to be on a sun-3
with 8, even though its cpu is theoretically faster.

One the other hand, we routinely use Suns here with 1 or 2 terminals
in addition to the hi-res console.  This is how faculty (who mostly
have the suns) get extra terminals to their students (who mostly
don't).
-mark
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