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From: mikeb@umbc.edu (Mike J. Bell)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.hardware,comp.sys.mac.hardware,comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware,comp.sys.sgi.hardware,comp.sys.sun.hardware,comp.sys.workstations,comp.sys.next.hardware,comp.os.386bsd.questions,comp.os.linux
Subject: Unix Workstation Decision
Followup-To: comp.sys.workstations
Date: 18 Apr 1993 07:43:27 -0400
Organization: University of Maryland, Baltimore County Campus
Lines: 77
Sender: Mike J. Bell
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <1qresvINN34i@elana01.acslab.umbc.edu>
NNTP-Posting-Host: elana01.acslab.umbc.edu
Summary: 486 box with NEXTSTEP
First of all: Thank you everyone who replied. As you can well
imagine, I got nearly one hundred responses, so I figured I'd thank
you all here instead of individually.
The tallies:
I got one vote for A/UX, which runs on the Macintosh.
I got several nays for Commodore's 3000UX system.
Most people agreed that SGI's were nice, and very very expensive.
Some (devoted) Sun users nearly insisted that I try to find a used
Sun, say a 3/60 or 3/80.
About a dozen people told me how they love their NeXT...only now NeXT
is out of the hardware business (see below).
And most of the other 85+ people said: Get a 486 box, and run some
version of Unix that's available either in the Public Domain or
commercially.
=============
And so I weighed my options. What stood out, in my opinion, was that
there were several different versions of Unix available on one system:
the 486 (PC) architecture. If I bought a Sun, I'd have to use SunOS.
If I bought a (used) NeXT, I'd have to use NeXTSTEP (see below). Ad
nauseum.
But with a PC, I can run Linux, which is a small user-friendly (?)
flavor that uses shared libraries to cut down on volume, although I
hear its networking abilities aren't up to speed with 386bsd, another
PD (==free) port (which takes up a lot more space). I can purchase
BSD386 (commercial product) if I choose. There are several other
commercial packages available.
So, what I've found out (after pricing systems, etc.), is that I can
get a really good Unix workstation for as little as ~$2500. Including
source code!
Or, for ~$3500-4000, I can get an unbelievable EISA bus 486-66DX2
system, fully blown, and run single user BSD386.
What I'm really excited about, though, is NEXTSTEP for Intel. NeXT
changed into a software company only, and they are releasing their OS
for PC's. I've used NeXT's before, and I absolutely loved them.
Everyone who wrote me about NeXT (or NEXTSTEP) commented on the
developer's environment, and how well designed the whole package is.
===========
So, my choice is to:
1) Wait for the mail on Monday, so I can read what NEXTSTEP's system
requirements are
2) If I'm wowed on what they say, I'll buy a system that fits into
their criteria
2a) Get NEXTSTEP
3) If I'm wowed, but I can't afford it yet (most likely), I'll buy a
system that fits their criteria
3a) Get Linux or 386bsd, as a temporary learning experience so I
can save up for NEXTSTEP
4) If I'm not sufficiently wowed (least likely), I'll buy a system
that is slightly less blown out (like a 486DX 25, ISA) and put Linux
or 386bsd on it.
================
Again, thanks to everyone around the net.