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Xref: sserve comp.os.386bsd.questions:9098 comp.sys.dec:18807 Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!munnari.oz.au!bruce.cs.monash.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!yeshua.marcam.com!news.kei.com!MathWorks.Com!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!howland.reston.ans.net!wupost!gumby!newsxfer.itd.umich.edu!nntp.cs.ubc.ca!unixg.ubc.ca!sitka.triumf.ca!felawka From: felawka@sitka.triumf.ca (Larry Felawka) Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.questions,comp.sys.dec Subject: Re: what to buy...what to buy *sigh* Date: 2 Mar 1994 20:01:38 GMT Organization: TRIUMF, Vancouver BC Lines: 46 Distribution: world Message-ID: <2l2rb2$m1u@nntp.ucs.ubc.ca> References: <1994Mar2.103006.1@gracie> NNTP-Posting-Host: sitka.triumf.ca In article <1994Mar2.103006.1@gracie>, ejones@gracie.psych.wright.edu (Ed Jones) writes: |> I want a unix box. Now that we've got that outa the way here is |> my question. I only want to spend $3000-$3500 on it. I am very |> used to DECstaions running Ultrix and DEC Alphas running OSF/1. |> It seems I have two basic options, and maybe more. DEC has a |> wonderful (seemingly) refurbished equipment deal on old DECstaions. |> For example, for $1800 I could get a DECstation 5000/120 with |> a 19" color monitor and PX graphics. For an additional $450 I could |> get total memory up to 24 megs and another $850 would buy me a |> 1gig SCSI drive. Remember, these are used prices. So, for $3100 |> I could get a decent workstaion for home use. I dont know how |> it would compare to a good 486dx266 running one flavor of free |> unix, either NetBSD or FreeBSD. For a 486 with 16 megs of ram, a |> decent 17" monitor, 500 meg SCSI drive, EISA/VESA bus with "good" |> SCSI host controller and video card is gonna cost me roughly the |> same as the DECstation. I do not play video games and absolutely |> hate Dos and WinBlows. So, what would you do? BTW, anyone know |> the performance specs on the 5000/120? I am going to check into |> some more refurb systems hoping to get more bang for only a few |> more bucks. Thanks for any help you can give me. |> -- |> **************************************************************************** |> * Ed Jones | ejones@desire.wright.edu * |> * Department of Psychology | ejones@sdl.psych.wright.edu * |> * Signal Detection Lab | ejones@wsu (Bitnet) * |> * Wright State University | * |> **************************************************************************** Judging from your .sigfile you probably want floating point performance, in which case you should go with the DS5000. I have done comparisons between my machine (486DX-33) and a DECStation 3100 and found the floating point performance to be comparable (the DS3100 is about 1.1 times as fast as my 486DX-33). I have also used both the DS3100 and DS5000/120 and have found that the DS5000/120 is about 1.5 times faster in terms of floating point performance. The other big plus is that the hardware is far superior to the usual PC crap. If you want to use the machine for fun and education, however, go with the 486 and run one of the free U*ix-like Operating Systems LINUX, NetBSD or FreeBSD (my choice). They are far better designed than ULTRIX and probably far better supported, plus you get _all_ the sources for free. Regards, Larry