fateman%ucbkim@Berkeley@sri-unix.UUCP (08/12/83)
From: fateman%ucbkim@Berkeley (Richard Fateman)
[Reprinted from the Info-Graphics discussion list.]
[...]
In answer to Fred's original query, (I replied to him personally
earlier ), Franz has been running on a SUN since January, 1983. We
find it runs Lisp faster than a VAX 750, and with expected performance
improvements, may be close to a VAX 780. (= about 2.5 to 4 times
slower than a KL-10). This makes it almost irrelevant using Franz on
a VAX. Yet more specifically in answer to FRD's question, Franz on
the SUN has full access to the graphics software on it, and one could
set up inter-process communication between a Franz on a VAX and
something else (e.g. Franz) on a SUN. A system for shipping smalltalk
pictures to SUNs runs at UCB.
Franz runs on other 68000 UNIX workstations, including Pixel, Dual,
and Apple Lisa. Both Interlisp-D and MIT LispMachine Lisp have more
highly developed graphics stuff at the moment.
As far as other lisps, I would expect PSL and T, which run on Apollo
Domain 68000 systems, to be portable towards the SUN, and I would not
be surprised if other systems turn up. For the moment though, Franz
seems to be alone. Most programs run on the SUN without change (e.g.
Macsyma).