Donation - old mainframe Unix system

From: Allison J Parent <allisonp_at_world.std.com>
Date: Mon Dec 1 22:30:11 1997

<A 68040 -based machine is not that old, maybe a bit under 10 years. What I
<was wondering is whether or not there is any objective advantage of old
<machines to new ones. F.E. one could get an old IBM mini (System/3X) for
<little or no money, but is there anything doable on it that is impossible t
<do on a W****** 95 machine?

It would be rare to say that a late W95 box isn't more capable. The only
thing it cant do is support more than one user! Though I've seen PDP-8s
that can. Now a late model PC running something other than w95 like
linux can support multiple users, not that common though. Most older
machines that was an expectation. After all they were expensive. ;-)

There is something that is possible on older machine that is close to
impossible on a win95 box. I can completely document my entire s100
machine right down to sources for CP/M, a significant number of
applications and the circuits for all the cards, backplane and power
supply. Some of my PDP-11 stuff I can do near as well. In other words
I have all the resources to understand it and even copy it or improve it,
something I have done.


Allison
Received on Mon Dec 01 1997 - 22:30:11 GMT

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