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From: perelgut@utcsrgv.UUCP (Stephen Perelgut)
Newsgroups: net.micro,net.research,net.cse
Subject: Re: First Summary of PC's in Education Survey
Message-ID: <3501@utcsrgv.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 11-Mar-84 18:26:49 EST
Article-I.D.: utcsrgv.3501
Posted: Sun Mar 11 18:26:49 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 11-Mar-84 19:21:02 EST
References: <3619@utzoo.UUCP>
Organization: CSRG, University of Toronto
Lines: 36

[Rebuttal**n]

Let me make things clear and concise.
1) I don't love 8088's but they aren't as bad as Henry seems to think.  If
all courses had to use IBM PC's, they would be almost as good
2) The situation at the U. of T. is so bad that the students cannot complete
assignments.  1/2 as many Mac's would be WORSE (100% certainty).  Offloading
the intro courses to PC's would allow full use of the COMPUTING power of the
IBM's and Vaxen for courses that need the power.
3) The situation requires action.  8088's are ideal for the current needs and
will be used.  68000/16032 systems are the unquestionned future but we need
them now.  

Summary
	- support is there
	- machines are available in quantity
	- software is being prepared by the best in the business.  (Let's seee
	    anyone else produce a compiler for a complex, verifiable language
	    with simplified syntax in only 3 months!  And the code (excluding
	    run-time checking) is as good as any other VAX compiler with very,
	    very few exceptions)
	- students own THESE machines, almost none (none?) own promises of
	    Mac's.
	- the machines are cheap and upgradable.

Conclusion
	We aren't stupid, we're just making the best of the situation.  Talk
	to me again next year and we'll be up on 68000's, 16000's, and almost
	anything else there is a crying need for.  But 8088's are the 
	(qualified) BEST choice NOW!  And if you don't agree, try teaching a
	course on one of the currently overloaded machines!
-- 
Stephen Perelgut   
	    Computer Systems Research Group    University of Toronto
	    Usenet:	{linus, ihnp4, allegra, decvax, floyd}!utcsrgv!perelgut
	    CSNET:	perelgut@Toronto