Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!tektronix!reed!psu-cs!smethers
From: smethers@psu-cs.UUCP (Paul Smethers)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: A/UX cost
Message-ID: <504@psu-cs.UUCP>
Date: 25 Feb 88 11:30:03 GMT
References: <8659@allegra.UUCP>
Reply-To: smethers@psu-cs.UUCP (Paul Smethers)
Organization: SmethersBarnes
Lines: 63

>Mac II
>
>cpu,4MB,80disk+unix,PMMU	8400
>external 80MB disk		3200
>ethertalk card			 700
>4MB memory (8 total)		1200
>19" 3rd party mono. monitor	2000
>tape backup (40MB)		1500
>TOTAL		$17,000
>
>Sun 
>3/50 with 4MB Ram, 144MB disk, tape backup (60MB), monochrome monitor
>		$11,500
>3/60 with 8MB Ram, 144MB disk, tape backup (60MB), monochrome monitor
>		$16,400
>
>		MIPS: 	floating	DMA	Max SIMM	slots
>			point			RAM on 
>			chip			motherboard	
>Sun 3/50	1.5	optional	?	4		0
>Mac II		 2?	yes		no	8		
>Sun 3/60	 3	yes		yes	24		0

Well I don't know the SUN addon market at all but I know the Mac one very
well and your total for the MacII is way off. Memory prices are approaching
$450 per 2 meg simm. It's possible to get a CMS 80 meg drive for about $1400.
Tape backup systems can be had for a $1000. A smart buyer can have the system
proposed for about $3000 less if he gets all his memory from discount
suppliers, and thats still paying retail for the mac and A/UX.  But it gets
even better.

Try this same system out:

	$4,000  - MacII - 1 meg ram - 1 floppy and keyboard.
	$2,000  - 19 inch third party monitor monochrome.
	$2,000  - 8 megs ram from anyone but apple.
	$2,000  - fast 150 meg hard drive. (magicdrive - this month's macworld)
	$700	- ethernet.
	$700    - 60 meg tape drive.
	$400    - PMMU.
	$500    - A/UX.
	$12,100 - Total.
	The point is that the aftermarket for the mac can offer some great deals 
and that I don't know if thats true of SUN. Also the low end SUNS have no 
Nubus and that is one worthwile attachment. You may question my A/UX price
but what no-one has said is that you can get right - to copy licenses for
$483 per copy, so one doesn't have to pay apples inflated hardware prices. One
other nice attachment that I don't know that sun offers yet is an add-on
68030 with 68882 at 25mhrz for about $2500 (Macintosh Today, Feb 23, page 3)
so your system can run at 8-10 mips for about $15,000 total.
	But the truth of the matter is that the SUN at 3 mips is probably faster
than  a MacII at 10. It's disk access is probably 10-20 times faster. SUN UNIX
is cutting edge top of the line, and if apple did well they probably copied it.
For UNIX work there is still no choice but SUN, and with their mantle of
leadership you know your machine will be at the forefront of new technology, 
namely SPARC. Lets face it, SUN leads the industry around by the nose.
	BUt I'm just happy to have the chance to have UNIX on a Mac. Perhaps if they get an 030 MacII made they'll be able to skip the PMMU and save some cash.


Randy Hill
SmethersBarnes

(My opinion's are my own, and damn good ones too!)