Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!decwrl!granite.pa.dec.com!mwm From: mwm@raven.pa.dec.com (Mike (Real Amiga have keyboard garages) Meyer) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: Amiga Whirled UNIX bashing Message-ID: Date: 27 Feb 90 19:03:45 GMT References: <11888@baldrick.udel.EDU> <9796@cbmvax.commodore.com> Sender: news@decwrl.dec.com Organization: Missionaria Phonibalonica Lines: 53 In-reply-to: ken@cbmvax.commodore.com's message of 23 Feb 90 15:26:59 GMT >> The Amiga will survive quite well without Unix, thank you. >> The Unix market will provide additional sales, but we are not >> dependent on it. Both Unix and Amiga systems have their places. Yup. The key point is Amiga Worlds characterization of Unix as "an OS that eats any resources that you throw at it." Seems to be pretty much true - at least for modern Eunices. Our standard workstation here has 16Meg of memory (well, a lot have 8, but that's "not enough") and a 300Meg disk on a 14Mips machine. The 300 meg disk is for system software and swapping; the users files are on a disk server elsewhere. Of course, we do run a rich environment in many ways. A "minimal" Amiga system with an HD would be 2-3 meg of memory (2.5 was just fine when I had that amount), and 20-30 meg hard disk (I use a 20Meg disk about like that 300Meg "system disk" on our workstations). What kind of Unix is CBM going to package in that space? Alternatively, what is CBM going to sell as a "minimal" Unix system? And how many of the minimal AmigaDOS machines I described above will you be able to buy for that price? >> What does Unix provide you that the Amiga does not? And is it worth the price you have to pay to get Unix? To most people, the answer is going to be either "nothing" or "no". To a few, it'll be worthwhile. But then you have to compete in the Unix market, unless there's some reason to want an Amiga workstation instead of someone elses. From what I can tell, an Amiga as a Unix workstation isn't anything to shout about from a hardware point of view. Possibly it'll be priced such that it makes sense, but who can tell without pricing information. >> Do you forsee a Unix box in every home? Or perhaps on every desk in >> the corporate world? If you do, I suggest look at how AUX is doing, and how the PC-based Unix systems are doing. The answer is "not very well", sales being mostly limited to Universities that like the idea of running Mac & Unix software on the same box, and to technogeeks who _really_ want a Unix box in their house. That total just isn't a very big market, not compared to what you can put in office & homes if you don't try and sell enough hardware to run Unix. It's big enough to be worth doing, but it won't keep the machine alive. Don't get me wrong - I think having Unix available is a wonderfull thing. I also think that, like the Mac & PC world, the price of running Unix will keep almost everyone from doing so.