bskendig@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Brian Kendig) (05/21/89)
For my electrical engineering classes next year, I will be using an Iris 4D-20 personal workstation, which goes for (if I have my figures correct) about $60,000 per machine. They are capable of real-time shaded 3-dimensional surface rendering. Sound capability? They can go `beep'. For my music theory class next year, I'm using a Commodore 128, packed almost to the gills with software and hardware add-ons. I'll be using `Advanced The Music System' [sic] and `SidPlayer' to compose and perform my pieces. Cost of the entire system? Only about $1000 so far. The difference is that I can get the Commodore to do some of my engineering calculations for me, as well as a few function graphs, by whipping up a short BASIC program to do what I intend. The Iris can't do much for my music classes, unless I compose a song that goes `beep'. Don't get me wrong - the Iris is a state-of-the-art machine, on the cutting edge of the computing field. But next year I'll be getting more use out of my little C128. The last laugh? When I use the mathematical packages on the Iris, I'll most often be using them from the comfort of my own room, over the modem (which will be connected to my Commodore). So which is the better system? It's all in the way you look at it. -- | Brian S. Kendig /\ +----+ /\ of Power | bskendig | | Computer Engineering / Triforces! \ Courage | @phoenix.Princeton.EDU | | Princeton University +----+ \/ +----+ Wisdom | @PUCC.BITNET | | "Estu la Forteco kun vi." - Obi-Wan Kenobi | @somewhere_past_Betelgeuse |