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From: rcj@clyde.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.att
Subject: Re: Query about the quality of UNIX/PCs and 3b1's
Message-ID: <18017@clyde.ATT.COM>
Date: Sun, 6-Dec-87 15:46:58 EST
Article-I.D.: clyde.18017
Posted: Sun Dec  6 15:46:58 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 12-Dec-87 04:43:52 EST
References: <9691@shemp.UCLA.EDU>
Sender: nuucp@clyde.ATT.COM
Reply-To: rcj@moss.UUCP (Curtis Jackson)
Distribution: na
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Whippany NJ
Lines: 41

In article <9691@shemp.UCLA.EDU> coleman@CS.UCLA.EDU () writes:
}o How standard is the UNIX they run?

SVR3 (essentially); they follow the System V standards quite well from
what I've seen.

}o How fast are they compared to say, a 10MHZ AT

We are using ours to offload register-level microsimulations from our
poor overworked Vaxen.  We ran tests on an 11/780 with only 3 users on
it doing mail and editors and the 3B1 outperformed the 780!!

}o Is there any kind of memory limit?  For instance, the 3b1 mentioned
}  above comes w/2M.  How much virtual memory can I get?

4Mb is as high as you can go, but it usually works out much cheaper to
settle for one combo board (EIA) and just go for a total of 3.5 Mb.

}o Are there technical references around which would allow me to write
}  programs making use of the graphics system, etc.?

See an earlier article in this newsgroup on "3B1 HW".

}o Do you think the machines (esp. 3b1) are worth the prices quoted
}  above?  If you had your choice, would you buy one (keeping in mind
}  that that kind of money would buy a 12MHZ AT clone w/EGA and
}  goodies.

We came, we saw, we bought (and we went outside the company for it; we
could have bought anything; didn't have to be AT&T).  But we weren't
looking for graphics stuff; we want it as a workhorse.  I was able to
get it completely up and running, talking to our Vax over the LAN,
running emacs, etc. etc. in one short afternoon.  We've been very pleased
so far and will probably purchase several more.

Check misc.forsale for used ones; some good deals posted there.

The MAD Programmer -- 201-386-6409 (Cornet 232)
			      ^^^^ new extension
alias: Curtis Jackson	...![ ihnp4 ulysses cbosgd allegra ]!moss!rcj
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