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From: dragheb@isis.UUCP (Darius "OPRDRT" Ragheb)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Mainframe vs Micro
Message-ID: <1514@isis.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 3-Jan-87 11:16:07 EST
Article-I.D.: isis.1514
Posted: Sat Jan  3 11:16:07 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 3-Jan-87 23:36:43 EST
References: <657@imsvax.UUCP>
Reply-To: dragheb@isis.UUCP (Darius "OPRDRT" Ragheb)
Organization: Math/CS, University of Denver
Lines: 41

Summary:lets please stop comparing Datsuns and Lamborghinis


In article <657@imsvax.UUCP> ted@imsvax.UUCP (Ted Holden) writes:
>
>There are several points to consider concerning the mainframe/micro question
>as it relates to databases.  The 32 meg limit doesn't apply to Novell Netware.
>A Novell server can fully use big disks such as the 300 meg Cores.  Such a 

And IBM has a particular disk drive for its mainframes that stores 4 GigaBytes.
(it spins around a horizontal axis rather than a vertical one)
How many AT's can access one or more of these?

>on the individual PCs;  the server is only being required to fetch and store
>info to and from disk.  As servers get more powerful, using 386 and future
>chips, and storage medea gets better, presumably using laser technologies,
>it is easy to anticipate such systems replacing mainframes for most if not
>all database work.  The little ISI glass disks are available now for 

It is even easier to imagine and anticipate the growth of larger computers.

>I've seen 750 and 780 VAXs destroyed by fewer than 30 people doing database

These machines that you mention are not mainframes.  I have seen an Amdahl
machine with 200 users run faster than any PC or AT (and i think it was able
to support an additional 300, i am not sure).

>work (or attempting same) at the same time.  The PCs are faster and better.

Faster and better.  very interesting statement.  My car is faster and better
than the space shuttle in the same way you are comparing PC's and mainframes.
I would NEVER use the space shuttle to go to the corner grocery, but i would use
my car, and I would never use my car to go to the moon, but I might
consider the shuttle.  In the same light: I would never use a PC
to predict tomorrow's weather, but i would use a cray,
and I would use my PC to handle my store's accounts, but not a cyber.

>The PC revolution, like our free-market system as opposed to communism, takes

interesting analogy
-- 
Functionality, Efficiency, Luxury.

isis!dragheb  |  dragheb@isis.cs.du.edu