---- On Thu, 8 Nov 2001, Allison (ajp166_at_bellatlantic.net)
wrote:
> From: M H Stein <mhstein_at_usa.net>
>
> >And that in 1987 an XXU equipped system was almost twice as
fast as a
> >VAX 11/780, which cost over four times as much as the largest
Cromemco
> >system at the time.
>
>
> Sounds impressive...save for in 1987 the VAX11/780 was 9 years
old and
> out of widespread use!! By 1987 the microVAX had been around
for a
> while,
> the midrange VAX was 4x-8x faster than the 780 and easily 1/3
the size!
>
> Cromemco was pretty neat but first, fastest not hardly.
>
> Allison
The 11/780 may have been in decline by 1987... but out of
widespread use isn't true.
A large number of 11/780's were still being used in commercial
locations (although many had been upgraded to 11/780-5's -- non
FCC'd 11/785's)... but many were still in commercial use after
the scientific number cruncher types moved from the 11/780 to
newer faster and smaller boxes or to bigger boxes like the 8650.
There were many 11/780's still in use through the late 80's at
various sites... many outside the US. Saying the 11/780 was out
of widespread use in '87 is like saying the 11/70 was out of
widespread use in 85. Not true if you ever were in AT&T, or any
ex-Bell Operating Company -- they were buying 11/70's through
1984 or so from DEC as refurbs.
Bill
--
Bill Pechter
Systems Administrator
uReach Technologies
732-335-5432 (Work)
877-661-2126 (Fax)
Received on Thu Nov 08 2001 - 08:31:19 GMT