Xref: utzoo comp.sys.dec:908 comp.arch:7836
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From: khb%chiba@Sun.COM (Keith Bierman - Sun Tactical Engineering)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec,comp.arch
Subject: Re: DECstation 3100 info.
Keywords: 3100, Advantedge 2000
Message-ID: <85330@sun.uucp>
Date: 14 Jan 89 00:55:54 GMT
References: <979@isieng.UUCP>
Sender: news@sun.uucp
Reply-To: khb@sun.UUCP (Keith Bierman - Sun Tactical Engineering)
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mountain View
Lines: 41

In article <979@isieng.UUCP> seenu@isieng.UUCP (Seenu Banda) writes:
>This workstation sounds very similar to
>the one made by Integrated Solutions (ISI).
>Can anyone enlighten me more about the 3100
>to understand the differences between the
>two products?
>

I am unfamilar with the ISI product, but from the press release info
one can see the following (for starters).

1)	Byte ordering is reverse of ALL other MIPS based machines.
	Binaries are NOT compatible.

2)	Ultrix is propritary, and differs from the MIPS OS offerings
	considerably. If you like Ultrix on your VAX, perhaps
	you will like it on your MIPS box. But if you come from
	any other unix environment it is quite a change.

3)	3100 has a max memory size of 24Mb RAM, 1Gb disk.

I have talked to one user of the 3100, and he was very unhappy that
his code (100+K lines of fortran) ran on their VAX, their Sun, their
SGI IRIS, and etc., but after considerable effort it is still not
running on the 3100. 

If you decide to buy a MIPS based processor, stick with one that is
STANDARD comforming. Why make your life difficult. If you don't like
the ISI, after a bit, you can go with someone else (MIPS, Ardent,
etc.). If you don't like the 3100 upgrade choices, you're stuck with
an OS AND processor change.

**** This opinon is clearly mine. Sun would prefer you buy a SPARC
     based system.:>!                                              ***





Keith H. Bierman
It's Not My Fault ---- I Voted for Bill & Opus