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From: dave@comm.UUCP (Dave Brownell)
Newsgroups: net.arch,net.micro.att
Subject: Re: AT&T MIPS claim
Message-ID: <266@comm.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 29-May-86 10:10:55 EDT
Article-I.D.: comm.266
Posted: Thu May 29 10:10:55 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 31-May-86 04:36:29 EDT
References: <577@scirtp.UUCP>
Reply-To: dave@comm.UUCP (Dave Brownell)
Distribution: net
Organization: EnMasse Computer Corp, Acton, MA
Lines: 18
Xref: watmath net.arch:3331 net.micro.att:1233

In article <577@scirtp.UUCP> dfh@scirtp.UUCP (David F. Hinnant) writes:
> ...  They made this interesting claim that the UNIX PC gives
> you "75% of the power of a VAX 11/780" for "only 7% of the cost".
> Arrgh.  ...  Is this the MIP rating for the
> 68010 as compared to the VAX?  Looks like it.  One really couldn't ask
> for a better example of the Meaningless Index of Performance.  I've seen
> many a 780 run with more than 20 users.  I'd like to see you put that
> many on a UNIX PC that I found can barely support one.

This is Apples and Oranges ... a MIP, however meaningless, is a CPU benchmark,
and a "user" is a rather ill-defined I/O benchmark ... and I do believe
the I/O on the 7300 is not up to the CPU.  Maybe when someone comes up
with a realistic I/O benchmark we can really start comparing UNIX hardware.
(Yes, that marketing claim is absurd.)
-- 
    Dave Brownell
    EnMasse Computer Corporation
    {genrad,harvard}!enmasse!comm!dave