🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1475@gryphon.CTS.COM>, richard@gryphon.CTS.COM (Richard Sexton) writes:
> 
>               SUN      APOLLO       VAX        IBM           APPLE
>               ---      ------       ---        ---           -----
> Model        3/50M     DN3000L     2000      PS 80-071       Mac II
> Chip        MC68020    MC68020   uVAX78032    80386          MC68020
> MIPS          1.5        1.2        0.9(1)     2.0             1.2
> Max Mem       4MB         ?          ?        16MB             8MB
> Display       19"        19"        15"        12"             12"
> Res.       1152x900   1280x1024  1024x864   640x480          640x480
> Disk         282MB       348MB     318MB      230MB           80MB
> Price(2)   $9,995(3)   $9,490(3)  $11,300    $13,370         $13,350
> 
> (1) New systems to be announced at 3.0 MIPS
> (2) With 71 MB hard disk and cartridge tape
> (3) Available diskless with server for $5,000 less
> 
> Source: Sun Microsystems and Apollo Computer
> 
> Richard J. Sexton

This is a pretty good chart.  I would add a few things.
1) Sun discounts heavily to Universities and companies - on the order
of 15% or more.  That $9995 turns into about $8K. I believe Apollo
and Apple do likewise. I don't know about DEC  and IBM.

2) Sun 3/50 come with a streaming backup tape drive(60 Meg tape).
   I don't know if you added that in.  I *know* the MAC II tape drive
   is 40 Meg.

3) I work on Apollos. Their are many good things to say about them.
   But I wouldn't buy one if i was interested in Unix. On the other
   hand I have also looked at Sun's Unix and like it. Question :
   does Apollo bundle Fortran, Pascal and C with their operating
   system (like Sun) or do you have to buy those compilers?  Same
   question about IBM, DEC and Apple.  Second Sun also gives you
   NeWS for $100. and MIT X Windows. 

4) Mac II comes standard with 2 Meg. Sun with 4 meg. Apollo with 2 meg
   ??(last i checked).

5) What is missing from this chart is the Sun 3/60. Which to me, is
   the most interesting machine of the batch.  

               SUN            APOLLO      DEC       IBM             APPLE
               ---            ------      ----      ---             -----
 Model        3/60 (Mono)     DN3000L     2000      PS 80-071       Mac II
 Chip        MC68020 (20 MHz)
 MIPS          3.0
 Std Mem       4                2 ?        ?          ?               2
 Max Mem       24MB
 Display       19"(1)
 Bitplanes      8               4          ?         ?                4
 Res.       1152x900 (2)
 Ethrnt std     Y               Y          ?         ?                N
 Disk         72M std. (Max? 282MB)
 Price     $12,900 undiscounted
 
 (1) 16" Color 1152x900 ; 19" Color 1152x900 ; 19" Mono 1600x1280 ;
     19" Grayscale 1152x900
 (2) Depends on monitor (monochrome given)

6) One missing ingredient in the chart is number of bitplanes.  This is
   relatively important if you are doing graphics.

6) The chart looks like the machines come with 282M disks actually you
   must be talking about the maximum disk space available to the machine.

7) One really BAD thing about the Mac II (i don't know if this is true
   about the IBM) is that the resolution is HALF of the other machines.
   This means it will cost you $$ if you want to get up to the resolution
   of a Sun or Apollo.

8) The Sun 3/60 I believe comes with an Ethernet card already built in.
   (Correct me if I am wrong).  I *know* the Sun 3/50 also has a built
   in Ethernet. Ethernet on the Mac II is $900. I believe but am not
   sure that Apollo is making it available as standard equipment (choice
   of Domain board or Ethernet).

9) The chart misses one important ingredient that is in the Mac II's
   favor.  Something like 2500 Mac programs can be used with the Mac II.

10) Another thing missing from the chart is what type of buss the machines
    have.  The Sun 3/50 is unexpandable...but then that why you can get
    a $5K diskless Sun. On the other hand Apollo DN3000 has an AT Bus.