🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Nov12.133126.13079@linus.mitre.org>, bs@gauss.mitre.org (Robert D. Silverman) writes:
>In article <1992Nov10.211153.5992@ryn.mro4.dec.com> bhandarkar@wrksys.enet.dec.com (Dileep Bhandarkar) writes:
>:> 
>:>	- how much do these machines cost? What's the SPEC/$?
>:
>:DEC 3000 Model 400 AXP starts at $15K
>:DEC 3000 Model 500 AXP starts at $39K
>:DEC 4000 AXP starts at about $70K
>:DEC 7000 AXP starts at about $150K
>:DEC 10000 AXP starts at about $300K
>:
>These prices are ridiculous. There are nowhere close to being competitive
>with what is being offerred by Sun or HP.
> 
>108 Specs for $15K??  Why would anyone want one?

Huh? *slightly befuddled look* 

Let's see, for around $10K list, you had the VAXstation 4000/90, which clocks
at around 24-30 SPEC. If I'm not mistaken, (going way, way wayyyyy out on a limb
here, listening to the wood creek) the high end DECstation runs at 30-32 SPEC,
costs about the same, list ($10Kish). 

Now, for $5K more (*handwave broadly*), you get roughly 3-4x the performance
(plus a box to keep your room warmer in winter) over both VAX and DEC hardware.

If you have an application wedded to VMS which is CPU intensive, AXP systems
are on the shopping list for Christmas. 

I would HOPE you can swap daughterboards to crank performance. I really wish
DEC hadn't gone with the funky clock-speed ranges for "product differentation",
but I suspect it's a marketing decision to recoup their investment rather than
"Slay the All Bastards Outright." 

I'm surprise the HP marketing shills haven't come out yet. Give 'em a day.


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