gauging interest in VAX 6000-530

From: Mike Cheponis <mac_at_Wireless.Com>
Date: Mon Oct 25 02:37:12 1999

> > A dx2/66 running Dhrystone 2.1 will be 2 to 3 times faster than an 6500.
>
> So? My roommate's 200MHz Pentium will blow my 7.1MHz 68000 based Amiga
> out of the water, yet my Amiga still feels quicker, even though they have
> the same capabilities (okay, the Pentium has a better sound system and
> graphics sub-system than the Amiga, yet it took the PCompatible over 10
> years to match capabilities and it still feels a bit sluggish at times).

I'm not a PC apologist, which seems to be where you guys are trying to paint
me.

I'm trying to make a simple point.

AND, I'm trying to get ACTUAL DATA to SUPPORT ASSERTIONS with FACTS (gosh!).


> So, a 486DX2/66 will beat a VAX 6500 in integer math. Great, if all I'm
> doing is integer math. Do an I/O benchmark and I'm sure a VAX 11/780 will
> beat the 486DX2/66 no problem.

See? There you go again! The 780's I/O was no great shakes. Sure, you
could stuff on a Fujitsu Eagle and do -pretty- good, but it was definitely
no speed demon. Since a dx2/66 is around 20 to 30x the integer performance
of that 11/780, I'm pretty sure the Intel part would crush an 11/780 in any
benchmark you could name. Of course, the 486 came out in 1989, and the
11/780 came out in, what, 1979. And, I don't have data on the 11/780's I/O
channels, so I can't be positive.


> > Excuuuuuuuuuuuuuse me! In case you hadn't noticed, there are more PCs than
> > every other type of computer ever made, ever! Did you notice this?
>
> I wouldn't go that far---as a general purpose computer, yes, it is
> probably the most numerous. Most numerous of ALL computers? I doubt it.
> More people probably have microwaves than computers. Or VCRs.

Sure. Matter of context. When I said "computer" I meant "not embedded"
because that's really a "controller" rather than a "computer". But your
point is well taken.

>
>> FACT: And it wasn't designed by some little ass-kisser fresh out of college; it
>> was designed by Intel.
>
> Sigh. What do they teach in school these days?

It's a matter of understanding what "it" refers to. I took it to refer to
the dx2/66 or its predecessors. They were built by Intel.

IBM merely glued a pile of Intel chips together and put 'em in a box.

> -spc (I've seen the building where the PC was designed---when I saw it, it
> was an art museum)

-mac
Received on Mon Oct 25 1999 - 02:37:12 BST