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From: dan@rna.UUCP (Dan Ts'o)
Newsgroups: net.micro.ns32k
Subject: Re: Query: Symmetric 375 computer
Message-ID: <537@rna.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 11-Sep-86 00:28:29 EDT
Article-I.D.: rna.537
Posted: Thu Sep 11 00:28:29 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 11-Sep-86 18:40:21 EDT
References: <174@grpthry.UUCP>
Reply-To: dan@rna.UUCP (Dan Ts'o)
Distribution: net
Organization: Rockefeller Neurobiology
Lines: 39

In article <174@grpthry.UUCP> ylh@grpthry.UUCP ( ylh ) writes:
>I posted the following message to net.micro a few days ago
>but obviously this is a better place for it (Apologies for not having
>followed this group before, if you think my questions have
>already been answered):
>
>Symmetric in California recently advertise in various magazines
>(Byte, Unix/World) their '375' computer.  It is based on
>the 32016, has 2 Mb ram, 50Mb winchester, 4 serial ports,
>runs 4.2BSD and is loaded with languages.  All for just $4,995.
>(GnuEmacs, TeX, SPICE for $10 each!).
>
>We ran a battery of benchmark programmes and found that it
>performs at the level of a microPDP11/73.  Seems a little
>poor for a 32016-based machine.
>
>Does anyone have any comments? (On the machine, the company, etc).

	Why do you think it is poor for a 32016. That level is about what
I would expect for average UNIX utilities. For 32-bit and VM stuff, the 32012
should do better. But the 11/73 is a pretty fast machine, many operations on
a 11/72 are as fast or faster than an VAX 11/750, which is approximately the
level of performance I'd expect from both 68010 and 32016 machines (at 8 to
10Mhz). Especially with a relatively slow disk.
	In addition a comparatively configured 11/73 would be about $10000,
including Ultrix.
	The real competition, I believe, is a PC AT (at 8-12 Mhz) running
Xenix, which one can also find for about $5000. A PC AT running Xenix can also
perform close to a VAX 11/750. No VM, though.

					Cheers,
					Dan Ts'o
					Dept. Neurobiology
					Rockefeller Univ.
					1230 York Ave.
					NY, NY 10021
					212-570-7671
					...cmcl2!rna!dan
					rna!dan@cmcl2.arpa