A105@UWOCC1.BITNET (Brent Sterner) (11/26/85)
Just some thoughts. We're a TOPS-10 site with a new 8600 (October).
The early KLs wouldn't clock at 100%, so DEC marketed an interim model
A CPU at 80% of the speed KLs currently run at. A faster 8600 is to be
expected! Even if only because of a faster clock and newer technology
in the chips. My guess is within a year, unless it's all hush-hush until
Anaheim. DECUS has always been prime for new announcements.
UWO also got a "deal" on the 8600. Every time we get a deal, DEC
announces a new machine soon after, making the deal a little less so.
If history repeats itself ... As a sceptic about deals, DEC is "due".
My guess is an 8700 (?) at least twice as fast as an 8600 and maybe
field upgradable, to be announced either at this decus (unlikely),
next spring (more likely), or a year from now. If not, it would be
time to dump DEC stock again...
Brent Sterner
Computing & Communications Services
Natural Sciences Building
The University of Western Ontario
London, Ontario, Canada
N6A 5B7
Telephone (519)679-2151 (secretary)
2167 (direct)DDOBKIN@NYBVX1.BITNET (Daniel B Dobkin) (11/11/86)
A recent posting to Info-VAX mentioned disk shadowing, a product we have
purchased from DEC, but haven't had the courage to install yet. Rumours
have been flying around -- most recently in the "Rumour Roundup" column
of Digital Review -- to the effect that shadowing still doesn't work quite
right. The net posting didn't say anything one way or the other, simply
that the boot device must be an HSC disk. The "rumour" mentioned above
said (quoting from memory here):
Fault-intolerant users who can't wait for volume shadowing
will have to wait a bit longer, until VMS 4.6, now playing
at selected alpha sites.
Does this mean that DEC has sold us a product that doesn't work? Or does
it mean that shadowing will be bundled in with VMS 4.6? How many people
out there are doing HSC volume shadowing now, and how many (like me) have
it (or want it) but are too chicken to give it a whirl without hearing
more from other sites?
If people prefer to send responses directly to me, I will post a summary
to the list.
Daniel B Dobkin
Irving Trust Company
net: DBD@NYBVX1.BITnet
phone: (212) 815-3712
snail: 1 Wall Street, 101-9
NY NY 10015