Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!cmcl2!husc6!hao!noao!arizona!naucse!rrr
From: rrr@naucse.UUCP (Bob Rose )
Newsgroups: comp.sys.nsc.32k
Subject: Re: kit wishlist and software
Keywords: 32k kit, cheap unix.
Message-ID: <585@naucse.UUCP>
Date: 20 Feb 88 23:10:34 GMT
References: <880@PT.CS.CMU.EDU> <177@anumb.UUCP>
Organization: Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
Lines: 48

In article <177@anumb.UUCP>, eao@anumb.UUCP (e.a.olson) writes:
> In article <880@PT.CS.CMU.EDU> mch@cs.cmu.edu (Mark Hahn) writes:
> >Use minix - see "Operating Systems - design and implementation," 
> 
> why not use Genix?

I called National Sem, they what $45000 to use Genix, that is why
were not even looking at using it.  AT&T, Mt XINU and all the rest
want about the same, then many of them want royalties in the range
$100 to $1000 for _each_ machine sold. You can't make a small
inexpensive machine when your giving out royalties left and right.
We are currently looking into minix, Prentice-Hall has a copyright
on it but the royalties shouldn't be that bad.  We hope to `enhance'
it to a small BSD by adding job control, sigvec, and a few
other small things. (Enough to get most of the BSD software up
but not all.)

[wish list]
> 1	a memory controller.
> 2	a high-power video controller.
> 3	SA450 controller.
> 4	HD controller.
> 5	slots.
> it doesn't have to be 532-based; i'd even be willing to accept
> an 032-based machine with the above attributes.

Well how about this:
  1) 1 to 8 meg of ram
  2) HD and floppy controller on motherboard
  3) 4 or 8 serial ports
  4) 4 slots, IBM AT hardware compatible (that way you can add anything
        you want if your willing take the time to write a driver)
  5) 32032 based, 32532 is just too expensive to make a small machine
        that John Doe Hacker will buy. (Looking at 32332.)
  6) And the most important is price, hopefully well under $2000.
        (Small machines with little disk and mem would be under ?$1000?)

Notice no video, you gotta get a terminal (all in the spirit of unix and
to keep the price cheap.)

Yes all this is in the planning stage but it always must start somewhere.

                               -bob
Robert R. Rose
Rose Research
1515 S. Yale Bldg 23A
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
                    .....!ihnp4!arizona!naucse!rrr