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From: jimi@scirtp.UUCP (Jim Ingram)
Newsgroups: net.arch,net.micro.att
Subject: Re: AT&T MIPS claim
Message-ID: <583@scirtp.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 2-Jun-86 17:33:36 EDT
Article-I.D.: scirtp.583
Posted: Mon Jun  2 17:33:36 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 4-Jun-86 00:38:21 EDT
References: <577@scirtp.UUCP> <124@bakerst.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: SCI Systems, Research Triangle Park, NC
Lines: 51
Xref: linus net.arch:3058 net.micro.att:1264

> In article <577@scirtp.UUCP>, dfh@scirtp.UUCP (David F. Hinnant) writes:
> > 
> > ...  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.
>  
> Be fair, now.  What setup of UNIX PC were you looking at?
> My UNIX PC has 2 MB RAM and a 67 MB disk.
> Granted, it won't support * 20 * users, but it certainly handles
> more than ONE user.  I've had 3 users on at one time and everything
> ran just beautifully.   
> 
> 
> -- 
> 
> Kathy Vincent
> ==========================================================
> 
> 			 kitty
> Home at		ihnp4! <       > !bakerst!kathy
> 			 wruxi
> 
> 		mcnc!ethos!bakerst!kathy
> 
> AT&T at		ihnp4!wruxi!unix

I don't plan to present arguments that address previous postings in detail,
because it seems the point has shifted. The ridiculous claim in the ad is
that the UNIX PC has 75% of the power of a DEC VAX 11/780.

If this is true, I should be able to replace 3 VAX 11/780 with 4 UNIX PCs
(and support the 100 - 120 users on the Vaxen).

To claim such a replacement ratio, as the ad does, is clearly dishonest.

A more realistic, but still rather absurd, replacement would be to replace 
a VAX 11/780 with 13 UNIX PCs, assuming that each UNIX PC will support 3 
users as Ms. Vincent states. This would cost 115% of an VAX 11/780 if 
the "7% of a VAX" cost statement is correct. 

AT&T should be fair and honest in its claims. They haven't been.
The AT&T ad is a good example of taking an irrelevant measure of raw
processor speed and building a lie from it.

-- 

	The views expressed by me are my own and do not necessarily
	represent the views of any other individuals or organizations.

Jim Ingram			 {decvax, akgua, ihnp4}!mcnc!rti-sel!scirtp!jimi
SCI Systems, Inc.   	   P.O. Box 12557, RTP, NC 27709            919 549 8334