Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bbn!rochester!kodak!elmgate!jdg
From: jdg@elmgate.UUCP (Jeff Gortatowsky)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: AMIX?
Message-ID: <926@elmgate.UUCP>
Date: 5 May 88 01:30:52 GMT
References: <466@mailrus.cc.umich.edu> <863@gethen.UUCP> <391@brambo.UUCP> <1878@sugar.UUCP> <1207@sbcs.sunysb.edu>
Reply-To: jdg@aurora.UUCP (Jeff Gortatowsky)
Organization: Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY
Lines: 52

In article <1207@sbcs.sunysb.edu> root@sbcs.sunysb.edu (SBCS Systems Staff) writes:
>
>      The CMU requirement is just that: it is what CMU will buy.  We have
>      100+ Suns here, and I'll tell you that a 3/50 is pretty well threshold
>      of pain in current workstations.  In such an environment, the current
       ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>      Amiga makes an awesome terminal with some compute ability.  It does
>      not make a workable Unix machine.  At least for the sort of Unix
>      we run here.
>

I humbly suggest Sir that you are spoiled.  I'd K.I.L.L for a 2/120 at home.
Sure, starting applications takes some time (dbxtool takes longer than *some 
time* ;^> ) but it's still real live UNIX with umteen bazzilion 
utilities.  For a programmer it's almost a nothing else to buy system. Add
in TEX, a few GNU items, X (if you please), VC, and it's almost a nothing
else to buy system for a *user* (whatever THAT is!).

>      Listen to Chuck.  He is giving you the straight story.  Real unix
>      machines cost bucks.  
>
>						Rick Spanbauer
>						SUNY/Stony Brook
>	

Don't *always* listen to Chuck.  Sun charges what it does not only to cover
thier considerabe technology and research, but to keep workstations out
of the "consumer" realm.  Further it appears that Sun would give away
CPU's as long as you buy a disk sub-system from them.  Check out the price
sheet some time.  The disk prices are horrible when you look at the cost
of an SCSI bare drive and a SCSI->ST506 adaptor.  ESDI I'm not so sure of.
Imagine my surprise to find out I could get a 3/50 4meg CPU for *less* than
the minimum 142meg shoebox with WangTek tape drive!  And here in my part
of Kodak we have more Suns than people to operate them, so I know of what I 
speak(we use Suns (not Sun-4) in our product)!  Now maybe things have 
changed....but I doubt it.


Look CBM.  I don't expect a 16.67 no-wait-state 1megapixel by 8bit machine
running 4.3 + X11 with a 140mb disk for under $2000.   But how about a
14.32mz 020 with a 764x512x5 (or 6) with a 50meg ST506 disk and VM kickstart
for ~$2500-$3000?   Don't go after Sun and ilk.  Let them tantilize
us at work,  while we laugh and enjoy KS at home.

Oh how I'd have paid that extra 100-150 bucks for at least process protection
on my A-1000 (vintage 10/85)!  Listen up CBM!

-- 
Jeff Gortatowsky        .....allegra!rochester!kodak!elmgate!jdg
Eastman Kodak Company  
These comments are mine alone and not Eastman Kodak's. How's that for a
simple and complete disclaimer?