[comp.sys.mac] Suns, support, less money

oster@dewey.soe.berkeley.edu.UUCP (09/08/87)

In article <668@uokmax.UUCP> rob@uokmax.UUCP (Robert K. Shull) writes:
>Tsk, tsk. NEVER mention "Sun", "support", and "less money" all in the same
>breath. You're just asking for it.

In case you are curious, here is a posting that appeared recently in the Sun
newsgroup:
Article 553 of comp.periphs:
Path: ucbvax!ucbcad!ames!elroy!jplopto!earle
From: earle@jplopto.uucp (Greg Earle)
Newsgroups: comp.periphs
Subject: 3rd party SCSI disks/tape for Sun-3/60?
Keywords: SCSI  ESDI
Message-ID: <4372@elroy.Jpl.Nasa.Gov>
Date: 31 Aug 87 10:00:42 GMT
Sender: news@elroy.Jpl.Nasa.Gov
Reply-To: earle@mahendo.JPL.NASA.GOV (Greg Earle)
Followup-To: poster
Distribution: na
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
Lines: 25

This is a rehashed topic, but with the base price of a 16" color Sun-3/60C
being under $10K ($9900), which translates to $6930 for those places lucky
enough to have 30% discounts, it's really time to start looking seriously
at this machine.  The problem of course is that Sun is Not In The Disk Business.
Thus, to get the minimum level of functionality out of the machine as a
standalone, you have to get the 141 Mbyte SCSI/ESDI disk & 60 Mbyte 1/4" tape.
This lists for $6500 (/$4550 @ 30%); in other words, almost 65-70% of the cost
of the machine itself.  Ouch.

(---- end included material ---)
so at $6500+$9900=$16,400.00 (list) or 
$6930+$4550=$11,480.00 (university discount) for a usable bottom of the
line color sun, versus the Mac II prices, I know which I'd rather buy.

So please, if you think the Sun is in the same price range as the Mac II,
think again before you post. They are two very different machines.

*** Opinion follows ***

I've got an old multi-bus 68000 unix box (similar to a Sun-1) sitting
in my closet, a gift from a friend who had no use for it. I have never even
turned it on.  I spent the years 1978-1983 as a Unix guru, and I haven't
found even one piece of Unix software that is worth powering up that machine
for, when I've got a mac right here. (If I ever loose my current net account,
I suppose I'll bring up uucp and rn on it, but for the moment it is more
convenient to have the machine room I log into not be in _my_ house.)

*** End Opinion ***

Those with conflicting views, please E-mail me. I am always ready to learn.

--- David Phillip Oster            --My Good News: "I'm a perfectionist."
Arpa: oster@dewey.soe.berkeley.edu --My Bad News: "I don't charge by the hour."
Uucp: {seismo,decvax,ihnp4}!ucbvax!oster%dewey.soe.berkeley.edu

richard@gryphon.CTS.COM (Richard Sexton) (09/09/87)

In article <20548@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> oster@dewey.soe.berkeley.edu.UUCP (David Phillip Oster) writes:
>In article <668@uokmax.UUCP> rob@uokmax.UUCP (Robert K. Shull) writes:
>>Tsk, tsk. NEVER mention "Sun", "support", and "less money" all in the same
>>breath. You're just asking for it.
>
>In case you are curious, here is a posting that appeared recently in the Sun

[...]

>
>This is a rehashed topic, but with the base price of a 16" color Sun-3/60C
>being under $10K ($9900), which translates to $6930 for those places lucky
>enough to have 30% discounts, it's really time to start looking seriously
>at this machine.  The problem of course is that Sun is Not In The Disk Business
>Thus, to get the minimum level of functionality out of the machine as a
>standalone, you have to get the 141 Mbyte SCSI/ESDI disk & 60 Mbyte 1/4" tape.
>This lists for $6500 (/$4550 @ 30%); in other words, almost 65-70% of the cost
>of the machine itself.  Ouch.
>
>(---- end included material ---)
>so at $6500+$9900=$16,400.00 (list) or 
>$6930+$4550=$11,480.00 (university discount) for a usable bottom of the
>line color sun, versus the Mac II prices, I know which I'd rather buy.
>
>So please, if you think the Sun is in the same price range as the Mac II,
>think again before you post. They are two very different machines.

[...]

>
>--- David Phillip Oster            --My Good News: "I'm a perfectionist."


          DESKTOP TECHNICAL WORKSTATIONS (MONOCHROME) VS. PCs
          ===================================================

              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


Disclaimer: I read it in Infoworld, so it *must* be true.

-- 
Richard J. Sexton
INTERNET:     richard@gryphon.CTS.COM
UUCP:         {hplabs!hp-sdd, sdcsvax, ihnp4, nosc}!crash!gryphon!richard

"It's too dark to put the key in my ignition..."