[fa.info-vax] uVax stuff

info-vax@ucbvax.ARPA (10/23/84)

From: Wang Zeep <G.ZEEP%MIT-EECS@MIT-MC.ARPA>


Sorry it took so long to summarize these few messages.

1) uVax performance:
>From: David_Cathey <dcathey%ti-eg.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa>

[...]
>	I probably shouldn't say anything, but squelching bad rumours won't
>hurt.  From what I heard from DEC several months ago, uVAX II will not have
>the speed of a 780, it should be closer to a 750.  

I'm afraid my friends still say that 80% of a 780 is the worst of the
benchmarks (for some sort of floating point unsupported by the
hardware).  One even said that some benchmarks go up to 105% of a
11/780!  Suggested was the approx. mean of 95%.

2)  Upgrades:

>From: Richard Garland <OC.GARLAND%CU20B@COLUMBIA>

>	I have heard from a DEC engineering manager (off the record) that
>future micro VAXes would be board replacements for the uVAX I.  In fact
>the uVAX II was introduced as a chip to some trade group last spring and
>I'm sure when DEC can get production efficiency up they will announce it.
>The problem (to DEC) as stated by this guy was that the new one should cost
>no more than the old (say $2k) and introducing it might be a disincentive
>to buy uVAX I's.

My sources seems to agree on this one.

3)  Not much on array processors.

FYI:
DEC has announced their workstation product, Vaxstation I, which is
composed of a Vaxstation + uVaxI + uVMS.  Delivery in December.

Of course, all this may be moot in 3 months.  Yet another friend at Data
General says that they'll have a desktop VAX-sized computer by then,
too.

		I love competition,
		wz
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