rsexton@uceng.UC.EDU (robert sexton) (12/22/88)
My boss is currently considering the purchase of a TI explorer II workstation with TestBench software by the Carnegie group. I have reservations about this purchase, as the machine seems closed. I would prefer a system based on a sun workstation, as it would be more open, and running UNIX. I would appreciate input from any of you who may have this hardware/ software combination, or people who have experience with the software and can compare it to other similar packages. Please reply via E-mail. I will summarize results for the net. -- Robert Sexton, University of Cincinnati rsexton@uceng.uc.edu tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!uccba!uceng!rsexton Box Full O' Transputers... The Breakfast with MIPS I do not speak for UC, They don't speak for me.
barr@pineapple.bbn.com (Hunter Barr) (12/30/88)
>My boss is currently considering the purchase of a TI explorer II workstation >with TestBench software by the Carnegie group. I have reservations >about this purchase, as the machine seems closed. I would prefer >a system based on a sun workstation, as it would be more open, and running >UNIX. I would appreciate input from any of you who may have this hardware/ >software combination, or people who have experience with the software and >can compare it to other similar packages. Please reply via E-mail. I will >summarize results for the net. Closed??? Where did you get that idea? As for the software, TI gives you the source for the operating system, which is all accessible even where no hooks are explicitly provided. I don't know how software can get more open than it is on a Lisp Machine. I've never hacked the TI Explorer's hardware before, but it looks pretty straightforward, a well-documented NUbus. I have heard that it is rather more difficult to write third-party disk-controllers for Suns, because they are *not* very open. Finally, the Explorer LX is an Explorer with a Unix co-processor (a Motorola 680x0, I think). I have used one and it works great. If you need Unix and AI in the same box, this is the way to go. If you already have Unix boxes, the plain Explorer can talk to them by some ethernet protocol like TCP/IP. ______ HUNTER