Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!aimt!breck
From: breck@aimt.UUCP (Robert Breckinridge Beatie)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: The cost of A/ux (Sticker Shock)
Message-ID: <645@aimt.UUCP>
Date: 24 Feb 88 03:51:07 GMT
References: <11540137@hpsmtc1.HP.COM> <430018@hpcea.CE.HP.COM> <427@sering.cwi.nl>
Organization: AIM Technology, Palo Alto, CA
Lines: 46
Summary: No, UNIX machines have been affordable for individuals
	 for some time now.

In article <427@sering.cwi.nl>, frankk@cwi.nl (Frank Kuiper) writes:
> In article <430018@hpcea.CE.HP.COM> twakeman@hpcea.CE.HP.COM (Teriann Wakeman) writes:
>    > ... the MacII at list price is at the limit of my personal
>    >budget and AUX totally blows any hope away. 
> 
> I think we are missing something here. I have been reading this net for
> some years now, and I can't remember ever having seen debates on the
> possibilities of buying one's own unix-box.
> Up 'till now, unix machines have always been purchased by the 
> company/institute someone is working for. 
>  ...
>     "This is the first time ever, that you are even close to buying a
>      unix machine for yourself, all beit still not a cheap one ..."

Well, i guess you haven't been reading this net very carefully.  AT&T was
selling their UNIX PC for less than $2500 during the "fire sale".  Or if
you're not prejudiced against Intel chips (I am) you can get microport unix
for a PC/AT compatible for a couple hundred dollars.  And since you can buy a
PC/AT compatible for less than a thousand dolars (without a hard disk, 80 MB
system for $2100), this makes unix quite affordable.  If you buy minix then
you get a (purportedly) version 7 UNIX compatible system WITH SOURCE.  Then
today I saw this add in (I think) misc.forsale:

	UNIX System V 68010 Multibus machine
	2 Mb RAM
	43 Mb disk expandable to 172 Mb., 45Mb tape
	8 to 16 users
	Matrox 512x512x8 color card with driver.
	Spare boards
	Unify, Q-Calc, Q-One, Fortran, reconfiguration rights.
	$2195.

Of course this is a used box.  For all I know it may only barely be a working
system.  For all I know it may not work at all.

Let's face it, A/UX is not a bargain.  But then what does Apple sell that is.
So don't go praising Apple for making unix almost affordable. 

Now I don't mean to get down on Apple.  Nor do I want to recommend that we
run out and buy PC/AT clones.  I'm prejudiced, remember?  I just couldn't
let the obvious misinformation in the referenced posting go by.  Well, I
thought I couldn't.
-- 
Breck Beatie
{uunet,ames!coherent}!aimt!breck
"Sloppy as hell Little Father.  You've embarassed me no end."