Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!husc6!yale!leichter
From: leichter@CS.YALE.EDU (Jerry Leichter (LEICHTER-JERRY@CS.YALE.EDU))
Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec
Subject: Re: Need Info on DEC CPUs
Message-ID: <62866@yale-celray.yale.UUCP>
Date: 7 Jun 89 00:47:53 GMT
Sender: root@yale.UUCP
Organization: Yale Computer Science Department, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Lines: 64
X-from: leichter@CS.YALE.EDU (Jerry Leichter (LEICHTER-JERRY@CS.YALE.EDU))


	In article <19145@cup.portal.com>, Will@cup.portal.com (Will E Estes)
	writes...

	Can someone explain to me the differences between the different model
	numbers in the VAX line?  I'm looking at a list here that has the
	MicroVAX II and 3000, VAX 8200, 8300, 8500, 8600, 8700, and the 11/750
	and 11/780.  Specifically:  1) What are the MIPS on each of these
	machines?

Well, we all know that "MIPS" stands for something like "Meaningless indicator
of Processor Speed", right?  A more reliable measure, among VAXes, is the VUP,
where an 11/780 defines 1 VUP (VAX Unit of Processing).  By many people's
measure, 1 VUP is roughly the same a 1 MIP in processing effectiveness.

Anyhow, as best as I can now recall them:

	MicroVAX II	.9 VUP, more or less.  Faster at some things (pro-
			cedure calls) much slower at others (commerical
			instructions, e.g., COBOL packed decimal.
	3000		No such machine.  There are many different machines
			in the 3000 series, using at least 2 different chips.
			Depending on the machine you chose, you get either 2.7
			or 3.4 VUPS.
	8200		1 VUP.  Very closely equivalent to a 780 across almost
			all applications.
	8300		Dual-processor 8200.
	8600		4.3 VUP.
	8700		4.4 or so VUP.
	780		1 VUP, exactly.
	750		.7 VUP.

		  2) Which of these run DECwindows?

There are two halves to DECwindows:  The client, which does the computing, and
the server, which does the displaying.  Any VAX can run the client software
(assuming it is running at least V5.1 of VMS).  A client has to be a worksta-
tion; none of the machines you listed are workstations, though some have close
relatives which are (e.g., a VAXStation II is the workstation based on the
same hardware as the MicroVAX II.)
						    3) What are the costs?

Of the items on your list, anywhere from free (I've seen people giving away
750's, though they still bring a couple of thousand on the used market) to
several hundred thousand.

	4) Which are no longer produced or supported?

ALL are still supported.  The "3000 series" consists of a number (5 or 6 at
least) of very recent machines.  I believe they are all still being produced.
The 8200 and 8300 MAY still be produced - I'm not sure.  The 8700 is no longer
produced under that name - it was replaced by the 8810, which has a different
console, but is otherwise the same machine.  All the rest of the machines on
your list are no longer produced, and the 8810 is on its way out....

I'm really not sure what you were trying to get at with these questions.  You
managed to miss all the current mid-range machines (the 6000 series) and most
of the workstations.  Several of your questions didn't make very much sense.
As a result, I doubt these answers are really going to do you much good....

I suggest you back off a bit and ask the questions that REALLY concern you,
rather than trying to descend to the technical details prematurely.

							-- Jerry