Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!ut-sally!ut-ngp!melpad!bigtex!james From: james@bigtex.uucp (James Van Artsdalen) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: Mainframes vs micros Message-ID: <190@bigtex.uucp> Date: Fri, 2-Jan-87 05:18:53 EST Article-I.D.: bigtex.190 Posted: Fri Jan 2 05:18:53 1987 Date-Received: Fri, 2-Jan-87 20:37:06 EST References: <653@imsvax.UUCP> <1397@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu> <10781@lanl.ARPA> <667@argus.UUCP> Sender: news@bigtex.uucp Reply-To: james@bigtex.UUCP (James Van Artsdalen) Organization: F.B.N. Software, Austin TX Lines: 21 In article <10781@lanl.ARPA>, sam@lanl.ARPA (Sam A Matthews) writes: > I would like to see someone try to get 1000+ users to access one database > using a PC network or manage a multi-gigabyte database, or 2 or 3. > Come on... It will not happen in our lifetimes. Actually, a company called Products Diversified in Houston TX has been selling 68000-based micros for a while that can handle 8 gigabyte databases pretty well. Lew Williams founded the company many years back as a result of problems he had when he was in the land-title business: people couldn't sell him reasonably priced hardware for large database applications. It's been two or three years since I talked to Lew, and in any case his son-in-law manages the company, but the point is that they have been doing multi-gigabyte databases on 68000s, not even 68020s, for years (used a variant on the LSI-11 before the 68000). I believe they use a specialized black box that does the real work, and that the box costs in the neighborhood of $50,000 to $100,000. The thing has been networked a fair amount, but to get more info call PDI and ask about it. 1000 users maybe not, but an 8 gigabyte database on a micro is old news, not "will not happen". -- James R. Van Artsdalen ...!ut-sally!utastro!bigtex!james "Live Free or Die" Voice: (512)-323-2675 Modem: (512)-323-2773 5300B McCandless, Austin TX 78756