Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!uwvax!oddjob!hao!noao!hsi!stevens
From: stevens@hsi.UUCP (Richard Stevens)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: Vax processors
Message-ID: <654@hsi.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 22-Jul-87 05:56:51 EDT
Article-I.D.: hsi.654
Posted: Wed Jul 22 05:56:51 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 24-Jul-87 06:13:52 EDT
References: <138@bernina.UUCP> <13413@topaz.rutgers.edu> <7622@mimsy.UUCP>
Organization: Health Systems Intl., New Haven, CT
Lines: 21
Keywords: Vax, CPU, Speed
Summary: VAX 8600 price increases


> The 8600 is rated about 4 VAX MIPS; the 8650 (a `tweaked' 8600) is
> about 6 VAX MIPS.  Rumour has it that, using properly hand-selected
> and tuned up boards, one can push the clock all the way up to where
> an 8600-series machine runs at 12 MIPS.  I wonder how long it will
> take for DEC to come out with the 8675. . . .

One item that no one has mentioned on the net was the incredible price
*increase* that DEC put into effect for the 8600 around April of this
year.  The base price of the system building block went from $350,000
to $447,000 !!  All you got for the additional $97,000 was an Ethernet
card and 1 year's warranty.

Most (if not all) of the other VAX'es went down in price, but the 8600
went WAY up.  I think DEC wants to get rid of these non-BI systems
that easily support 4.3 BSD and third-party peripherals (that's exactly
why we got an 8600 and not and 8500/8550).

	Richard Stevens
	Health Systems International, New Haven, CT
           ihnp4 ! hsi ! stevens