🚀 go-pugleaf

From article <1156@svx.SV.DG.COM>, by gary@dgcad.SV.DG.COM (Gary Bridgewater):
> in quicker CPU cycles. In terms of our MV systems - it kicks an MV/20000
> in the teeth. I don't have a local 40000 to compare to. An MV/20000 is
> about twice an MV/10000sx and an MV/10000sx is about 1.5 a VAX 11/780.
> (An MV/10000sx is about 2.5x an MV/4000 .)

OK, I'll bite on that.  I read comp.arch too ;->

I manage an MV/20 and for kicks the other day (while the system was
loaded) I moved a rather large (600K+) file around the system disk. And
the numbers are appallingly low, roughly 80KB/sec throughput from a 
directory on the system disk to @NULL.  This is on a system with about
90 people logged in, on Argus disks.  This does NOT compare well with
standalone PC disk throughput as reported in comp.arch.  But then, this
is an apples-and-oranges comparison, right?  

How does the Aviion kick a 20 in the teeth? Screen painting? I have a
circa 1976 8080 that paints the screen faster than a 20, but it is using
full memory bandwidth to do it, while the 20 is limited to 9600 baud. 
So? Believe it or not, I believe your informal comparison, even in
general.  I submitted an article to DG Review on RISC in general which
goes into detail why the Aviion is so much faster than an MV.  Something
about cycle time.  One of the comparisons I came up with that has gotten
a chuckle or two is Aviion == Shelby Cobra, MV/20 == 3/4 ton pickup with
everything, plus a Cummins diesel engine.  It takes real guts to push a
Shelby to its limits, and not every driver is even going to try. But
even I could make a Dodge truck strain.  Try dragging cows around, like
my dad, in a Cobra.

My point is (with the above comparison) that you can't honestly compare
a CISC machine with a proprietary OS to a RISC running a customized
generic OS.  They aren't doing the same things.

Marc


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