bdale@winfree.UUCP (Bdale Garbee) (11/05/86)
In article <1637@ncoast.UUCP> btb@ncoast.UUCP (Brad Banko) writes: >Has anybody heard of, or actually have one of the Symmetric 375 machines >from SYMMETRIC Computer Systems, San Jose? I just got info from them today >from BYTE... what they offer seems incredible... it is a portable box with >a "750" inside running BSD 4.2 with all utilities... everybody's favorite >languages f77, Pascal LISP PROLOG BASIC apl, and even C... it has half the >speed of a 750 (hence the name "375", a 50 meg Winchester drive... four >serial ports... AND, you can take it home at night! They sell it for >$4995 (about $9000 with ethernet) and their number is: This machine does exist. I have owned one for just shy of a year. With recent software upgrade to full 4.2bsd with extensions/utilities, I'm VERY happy with the box. Has a couple shortcomings, and a couple lingering software bugs, but nothing that isn't fixable or work-around-able. Other than one bug in the current C compiler that I haven't chased yet which keeps ELM from compiling, everything I've moved off Vaxen and Suns has compiled on the first try... and run fine. There have been reviews posted in net.micro.ns32k before, I won't repeat it all here. Much of the review material is out of date with the new software release anyway. If anyone has any questions, send mail and ask. If I get too many responses, I'll summarize. In addition to winfree, I know that 'crash' and 'vixie' are also S375 sites on the net... and we have a sort of informal user's group going with a private newsgroup. Other S375 owners who are interested, give me a call or send mail and we can add you... -- Bdale Garbee, N3EUA phone: 303/593-9828 h, 303/590-2868 w uucp: {bellcore,crash,hp-lsd,hpcsma,pitt,vixie}!winfree!bdale fido: sysop of 156/8 packet: n3eua @ wb0blv, Colorado Springs