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From: sjm@dayton.UUCP (Steven J. McDowall)
Newsgroups: net.unix
Subject: Re: Any Tower Users?
Message-ID: <192@dayton.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 14-Sep-86 16:15:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: dayton.192
Posted: Sun Sep 14 16:15:59 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 14-Sep-86 23:22:02 EDT
References: <3641@brl-smoke.ARPA> <34@samira.UUCP>
Reply-To: sjm@dayton.UUCP (-Steven J. McDowall)
Organization: Dayton-Hudson Dept. Store Co.
Lines: 37
Keywords: NCR Tower/32	68020
Summary: Our expierences with a Tower/32

After hearing two case histories on NCR machines, I figured
I might as well add mine too. Especially since we have the 
hottest new NCR around. (I BELIEVE the two other authors had
expierence only with the 68000 Tower/XP or Tower/Mini).

To wit: Our Tower/32 is a 68020 @ 16.7 MHZ (68881 FP optional
whenever big M. makes it generally available - However, the C
compiler already has support for it). 4 Meg. of memory
(virtual demand paged OR ye olde swapping - depending on
how you configure the kernel). It has 2 HPSIO boards
(each HPSIO handles 8 Async. I/O and has it's own 68000 
processor doing the normal canonical processing normally in 
the kernel). We also have a MPCA (Multi-protocal Communications
Adapter) running SDLC (SNA) at 9.6KB. 

In one word: Its DARN fast. The only problem we had was a bug in
the HPSIO device driver that occasionally caused a total system crash
However, that was fixed in Release 1.02.00PE. It is *almost* a 
full System V.2 (its missing SXT devices and /etc/crash that I know of).

It has battery backed-up memory (good for about 30 minutes at 4 Meg.)
and uses SIGPWR to signal any programs that care about a power failure.
(When power is restored, programs that have set SIGPWR to something will
get signalled. VI uses this to automatically refresh the screen when
power comes back up).

To summerize: If you're looking at a nice developemental system, or
a very fast end product with lots of I/O horsepower, then a Tower/32
may be for you. 

Note:	And I don't even work for NCR! :-)

-- 
Steven J. McDowall	
Dayton-Hudson Dept. Store. Co.		UUCP: ihnp4!rosevax!dayton!sjm
700 on the Mall				ATT:  1 612 375 2816
Mpls, Mn. 55408