[comp.parallel] Encore Multimax -- any comments?

alecd@uunet.UU.NET (12/27/88)

Has anyone had any experience with the Encore Multimax?

We are considering buying one. It looks like a good machine, but
I am a little worried that I see no mention of it on the net.  I
would like to know if there is anything the salesman didn't tell me.

Flames are most welcome!

Alec Dunn                     alecd@extro.ucc.su.oz
Electrical Engineering        fax: 61 2 692 2012
University of Sydney
NSW 2006 Australia

rajeevc@decwrl.dec.com (Rajeev Chandrasekhar) (12/27/88)

In article <3981@hubcap.UUCP> munnari!extro.ucc.su.oz.au!alecd@uunet.UU.NET writes:
>Has anyone had any experience with the Encore Multimax?
>
>We are considering buying one. It looks like a good machine, but
>I am a little worried that I see no mention of it on the net.  I
>would like to know if there is anything the salesman didn't tell me.
>
>Flames are most welcome!
>
>Alec Dunn                     alecd@extro.ucc.su.oz

We had one at school , and I had the privilege (emphasis on privilge)
of being systems manager for it.

Though I am not sure how it compares with other like machines, the Max
is definitely top quality hardware,I did a lot of programming using the
very good parallel library (C) . We did have some initial software
problems with it.

Our configuration had 6 NS 332s and weitek floating point.

Also when necassary we had decent tech support from Encore.



Rajeev Chandrasekhar
Intel Corp            >> theres someone in my head, and its not me << 
2625, Walsh Ave MS SC4-59                      (408) 765-4632
Santa Clara, CA 95051  {hplabs,oliveb}!intelca!mipos2!rajeevc                      

kaufman@EDDIE.MIT.EDU (Lar Kaufman) (12/28/88)

In article <3981@hubcap.UUCP> munnari!extro.ucc.su.oz.au!alecd@uunet.UU.NET writes:
>Has anyone had any experience with the Encore Multimax?
>
>We are considering buying one. It looks like a good machine, but
>I am a little worried that I see no mention of it on the net.  I
>would like to know if there is anything the salesman didn't tell me.

Since I am with Encore, I will disqualify myself from comment on the
quality of the Multimax. I am curious that you see no mention of the
Multimax on the net, however. We are normal net.citizens who care
about our product and participate in net discussions. 

>Flames are most welcome!
(cringe...)

 Lar Kaufman   <= my opinions          Fidonet: 1:322/470@508-534-1842 
 kaufman@multimax.arpa    {bu-cs,decvax,necntc,talcott}!encore!kaufman

wtm@buengc.BU.EDU (W. Thomas Meier) (01/06/89)

 Boston University has 9 Encore Multimaxes running Umax 4.2 and System V.
 We have had pretty good luck with the units as long has you stay above
 the minimum hardware configuration.  We also have a few dozen Encore 
 Annex boxes, the Annex II version being the best.

 Our environment encludes several Sun 3s and 4s with workstations. An
 IBM super, several DEC units, and a Thinking Machines CM-2 with 32K 
 processors.  In this environment our favorite usage for the Multis is 
 multi-user access, Ada course usage, Office automation, and VLSI design.
 We just got our 8th and 9th Multi to disk farm with NFS to several SUN
 workstations.  This is because the Encore's parallel NFS is orders of
 magnatude faster than our best configured SUN 4/280, and so far is 
 more cost effective. 

 I understand that you have a fairly agressive marketing agent in Australia
 for Encore.  They should be able to take care of you as long as you know
 what you want.

 If you want to subscribe to comp.sys.encore, you will get a lot of 
 Multimax related news.  There is also good info available there on Encore's
 new MACH operating system.

 I have contacts in New Zealand if you are interrested in more local 
 opinions.

 Tom Meier
 Boston University Information Technology

 wtm@bu-it.bu.edu	(arpa)
 wtm@buenga		(bitnet)