[comp.lang.scheme] Lisp under $10k

jeff@aiai.edinburgh.ac.UK (Jeff Dalton) (05/03/91)

> But Lisp is used more than ever before, and machines
> that can run a full Lisp system are now well down under $10k.

I don't know about "full", but I run KCL on a 16 Meg 33 MHz 386 with
Minix as the OS.  Total cost, including software, about 3500 pounds.
I assume things are cheaper in the US.

What I'd like, though, is a better Scheme.  I use Elk, but it's an
interpreter only.  SIOD and derivatives are also interpreters.  
I'd be happy with a byte-compiler.  I'd use OakLisp, but it's not
very helpful when debugging.  X-Scheme is in a somewhat uncertain
state, and the versions I could ftp don't seem very recent.  C Scheme
requires too much disk space and doesn't (or didn't) compile for the
386.  T also seems a bit too much of a heavyweight, and without a 386
version.

Scheme-to-C looks possible.  Any other suggestions?

cmaeda@exxon-valdez.ft.cs.cmu.EDU (Christopher Maeda) (05/07/91)

For $3.2k (edu price) or $5k (list price) you can get a NeXTstation.
It runs Mach2.0/4.3BSD at around 11 specmarks.  Allegro CL is $750
(edu) or $1500 (list).  Various flavors of scheme are free.