gef@invest.UUCP (Gene E. Fowler) (05/05/84)
[eat it] > We rejected the system [NCR Tower] because the Unix kernel internals > and device driver sources were not available at any price, according > to the NCR people I talked to. Sources are not available for most small UNIX boxes. Most (NCR included I was told) will sell you the necessary kernel .o's and a sample driver source so that you can write drivers but you can't easily hack the rest of the kernel. To get all sources for some systems, it would cost big bucks. I have heard of $20k and up. > I've never used one, so I can't say how it compares to other > machines in performance. Average performance on the slow disk (32 meg 59ms), but get the fast disk (84 meg, 20 ms, smd). I would be considering buying one but they are still in the dark ages of Version 7 (no flames please). System V is supposed to be available third quarter 84. I will be buying Dual 83/80 machines (maybe some 3B2's when and if AT&T decides to sell to us little guys). One nice feature is the power failure autorestart. It does not have to reboot. There is a battery backup for memory and when power is restored some diagnostics are run and if ok and the autorestart switch is set, all processes keep going. But modem lines are dropped unless you have an uninterruptable power supply for them. Their terminals also come up in a screwy state after power failure and have to be reset. Contact me by mail if you want more info about Dual or NCR machines. Gene Fowler ihnp4!invest!gef Disclammer: I have no connection with NCR or Dual other than that of a customer. I am an ex-employee of AT&T Bell Labs so I will be prejusticed (both pro and con) about 3B2's.