help with at&t models

[Stephen Friedl]

Mark Ward asks about the various AT&T machines out there, and
Ed Hopper responds with a long list, the only bugs of which are
that a few machines need to be added to the "discontinued" category.

> 3B2/300/310/400 - WE 32x00. Introductory small AT&T Mini.
>                   Rarely sold anymore but still orderable (I think).

The 3B2/300 is absolutely discontinued, and I am virtually certain
that the rest are not orderable anymore either.  I'll check out my
reseller manual when I get into work this morning.  The used market
has these machines for the $1-4k range

> 3B5 - Old small Big format mini.  Had 9 track tape, 8" SMD drives, etc.
> 3B15 - Upgraded WE 32100 version of 3B5.
> 3B20 - Few commercial sites. Primarily AT&T and RBOC internal use. Older
>        technology.  Was being built and used by AT&T prior to divstiture.
> 3B4000 - Multi-CPU version of 3B15. Had 3B2/600's as communication front
>        ends.  High speed bus to connect all CPUs. First commercial "BIG"
>        machine.

All of these are discontinued (well, I guess I've not
*personally* seen the termination papers on the 4000, but since
it is literally built on top of a 3B15 I assume must be).  The
3B5 and -15 were discontinued in the summer of 1989, and it is
only because we have an outstanding local AT&T data shop (Larry
Duffy!) that our machine has had such an excellent service
record.

These big machines never really made it too well outside of AT&T
and the Bell Operating Companies, and it is clear to me that the
80x86 on the low end and Pyramid on the high end will be the
future (such as that is) with AT&T.  Notice that "3B2" is
conspicuously absent from mention.

Note: "discontinued" means "can't order it anymore".


> DISCLAIMER: I have been peddling these things for several years.

So have I :-)

    Steve

-- 
Stephen J. Friedl, KA8CMY  /  3B2-kind-of-guy  /  Tustin, CA / 3B2-kind-of-guy
+1 714 544 6561  / friedl at mtndew.Tustin.CA.US  / {uunet,attmail}!mtndew!friedl

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