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From: mark@markshome.UUCP.UUCP
Newsgroups: mod.computers.workstations
Subject: Re: Information wanted about Apollo series 3000
Message-ID: <5134@mimsy.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 21-Jan-87 01:10:06 EST
Article-I.D.: mimsy.5134
Posted: Wed Jan 21 01:10:06 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 21-Jan-87 18:53:03 EST
References: <1036@botter.cs.vu.nl>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: markshome!mark (mark weiser)
Organization: U of Maryland, Dept. of Computer Science, College Pk., Md. 20742
Lines: 34
Approved: works@red.rutgers.edu

In article <1036@botter.cs.vu.nl> jim@cs.vu.nl (Jim van Keulen)
writes: 
>I would like to know more about the Apollo Series 3000 workstations.
>
>- What is the quality of the UNIX implementation? Is it real UNIX or
>  just a UNIX shell around a proprietary operating kernel? 
The latter.

>- What about the network facilities? Is there a fully transparent
>  distributed file system?
Yes.

>- How easy is it to port UNIX program distributions to the Apollo?
Depends on what they do.  Some things will port.  O.S. dependent
things that require certain kernel features sometimes will not.

>- What is the general politics of Apollo with respect to make
>  available kernel sources?
My understanding is that these are absolutely unavailable.

>If you compare Apollo series 3000 with Sun-52/M workstations are
>there certain advantages of the Apollo over the Sun?
My understanding is that these days (and perhaps always) Apollo is
much more aggressive in negotiating special deals for price.

My background: I have a lot of first hand knowledge about Suns, have
a lot of two year old knowlege of Apollos back when we were making
the Sun vs. Apollo decision here at Maryland, and have freshly
updated (but second hand) Apollo knowledge based on trying to talk a
friend out of buying 200 Apollos.  I lost the argument.
-mark
Spoken: Mark Weiser     ARPA:   mark@mimsy.umd.edu      Phone: +1-301-454-7817
CSNet:  mark@mimsy      UUCP:   {seismo,allegra}!mimsy!mark
USPS: Computer Science Dept., University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742