[net.unix] The New UNIX Box: Second Design Round, and Reply Summary

joe@dual.UUCP (Joe Weinstein) (06/30/86)

If you've seen this before, HELP! This letter got me some good
feedback but a power SNAFU lost my mbox! If you send,  (or RESEND )
me your comments I will reply personally.
( THE NEW COMMENTS ARE BELOW )			Joseph Weinstein
						Dual Systems Corp.
						2530 San Pablo Ave.
						Berkeley, Ca. 94702
						415-549-3854
Hi.
	This  is a  stab  at  some  cheap  marketing  research.
	Would you be interested in a small, FAST UNIX desktop:

	    *  UNIX V.2.2 ( virtual memory ) with fast file system.
	    *  Motorola 68020 at 20 MHZ.   VME bus-based.
	    *  4 meg. on the C.P.U.
	    *  SCSI 80 Mbyte hard disk.
	    *  60 meg. cartridge tape drive.
	    *  4 ports.
	    *  Under $10,000 and no bigger than an IBM PC-AT ?

	Write me or call me.  If I get enough yes votes, we're
	gonna build it.
			Thank You For Your Support...
				Joe Weinstein
RESPONSES TO ISSUES RAISED:

* The file system will be the 4.3 Fast File System!
* Sys V UNIX seems to be emerging as the UNIX standard. (IEEE Std 1003.1)
* A low-end Sun is DISKLESS! To get a disk you'd pay $7,000 more at least!
* Cartridge is better than floppy with an 80Mbyte disk, so we go with it.
* Ethernet will be supported at added cost for board and BSD-like software
  like rlogin, rcp etc.
* We'll give you GNU EMACS with sub-process capability.
* No graphics as of now... Sorry. maybe later.
* Cost: OK, we'll dicker... Costs will drop.

PLEASE RESPOND AGAIN AND I'LL ANSWER YOUR CRITIQUE INDIVIDUALLY.

hammond@petrus.UUCP (Rich A. Hammond) (07/01/86)

A recent survey posted by Joseph Weinstein asked:
> 	Would you be interested in a small, FAST UNIX desktop:
	... (specs for box) 
> 
> 	Write me or call me.  If I get enough yes votes, we're
> 	gonna build it.

Of course, I'd be interested in such a box, BUT I wouldn't buy one!
The question is not how many people are interested, but how many people
are willing to budget/spend money on it.

AT&T learned this the hard way (cost $) with the UNIX PC, I understand
they bought quite a few from Convergent and got nice reviews, but no
sales.  Pity, it is a fairly nice box (if you put in more memory) for
the price.

Rich Hammond

jsq@im4u.UUCP (John Quarterman) (07/01/86)

>* Sys V UNIX seems to be emerging as the UNIX standard. (IEEE Std 1003.1)

System V != IEEE 1003.1.
-- 
John Quarterman, UUCP:  {gatech,harvard,ihnp4,pyramid,seismo}!ut-sally!im4u!jsq
ARPA Internet and CSNET:  jsq@im4u.UTEXAS.EDU, jsq@sally.UTEXAS.EDU