Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!mcnc!ravi From: ravi@mcnc.UUCP (Ravi Subrahmanyan) Newsgroups: comp.sys.misc Subject: Re: Why a Micro is not as powerful as a Vax Message-ID: <1920@alvin.mcnc.UUCP> Date: Sun, 4-Jan-87 19:21:07 EST Article-I.D.: alvin.1920 Posted: Sun Jan 4 19:21:07 1987 Date-Received: Sun, 4-Jan-87 22:35:41 EST References: <984@hounx.UUCP> <2880@rsch.WISC.EDU> <1611@hoptoad.uucp> Reply-To: ravi@alvin.UUCP (Ravi Subrahmanyan) Distribution: world Organization: Microelectronics Center of NC; RTP, NC Lines: 50 Keywords: micro vax 750 Summary: It really depends on what you want.. (long) In article <1611@hoptoad.uucp> gnu@hoptoad.uucp (John Gilmore) writes: >I was thinking the other day about how people claim that their Atari ST >has the power of a Vax 750 and why this is bull because the power is >not harnessed. The Vax can be configured in hundreds of different ways >to meet peoples' needs -- e.g. local choice of disks, ports, ram, >networks, software, etc. I think John's way off the mark here as far as certain users (like me) are concerned. I really am not concerned with how many ways my ST can be configured, but rather with ensuring that I do have >>at least one<< configuration I can use. And, it happens to be something I like very much.. a choice of disks, RAM is available, extra ports aren't wanted, I have a fair approximation to my BSD environment, and networking isn't that big a deal as long as I can use kermit or something to move files. >With the micros you are stuck waiting while >somebody figures out how to hook things up. (Now they are all trying >to figure out how to retrofit multitasking and hook up read/write >devices to the cartridge ports and turn the joystick socket into a >network and such.) Garbage! It's a lot easier if you just do it right >in the first place. Who's waiting? And for what? People will hack, given anything. It doesn't mean I am waiting with bated breath for their success. I have *no need* for adding a read/write device to the cart port, and multitasking is available if I want it, but I really don't care.. >The reason a Sun is as powerful as a Vax, while an Amiga or Atari is >not, is because Sun interfaced the 68000 to just about anything you >could get on a Vax, all the software and hardware options (except >VMS). Agreed, but if I'd wanted to run stuff from our Vaxen on a micro, I'd have bought a Sun. As it is, I find it infinitely preferable to do edits or small compiles (for generic C only, of course), or make drawings, or just tool around, on a Mac or ST rather than on the (usually loaded) 780. When I'm writing a 20 page document (not quite out of purgatory yet!), it's so much faster to get it shipshape (and yes, I check my spellings there too) on a micro before sending it off to the VAX/Laser combo. >I/O is the great ghetto of the micro world. I think the point is that a <$1000 machine will never be a Sun precisely because of the corners that had to be cut to get the price down. But that doesn't mean it isn't preferable in it's own way.. -ravi