386 questions

[Sue Peru Sr.]

+---- weave at ihlpf.ATT.COM (Weaver) writes in <4219 at ihlpf.ATT.COM> ----
| I'm searching for a 386 box to run Interactive Systems Unix.
| -What is an adequate configuration?  Interactive Systems recommends
| >= 4 M of ram and >= 40 M hard disk.  Are their recommendations valid?

    The *absolute* minimum RAM you want is 2Mb + 1Mb for each
    person/thing using the machine (you + uucp + news2.11 = 3Mb
    additional).  You will find that the performance of the machine
    will almost double when going from 1Mb to 2Mb, again when going
    from 2Mb to 3Mb, and again from 3Mb to 4Mb.  above 4Mb (and single
    user) you will usually keep everything in memory and not have to be
    swapping/paging from disk.  The disk i/o on an AT bus is *slow*
    (compared to the CPU speed...) and the more memory you have, the
    faster things run.

    ***BE SURE*** you only use 32 bit memory - it runs at 1 or 2 wait
    states (depending on the machine design).  A 16 bit memory card
    (like Everex's RAM 3000...) needs about 14 to 16 wait states!.  A
    16 Mhz 386 CPU with 16 bit memory runs almost as fast as a 6Mhz IBM
    PC-AT with a 286 CPU :-(

| -How does Interactive's Unix compare (in price, performance, support etc)
| with the Microport and Bell Technology versions

    This is the family tree for 386 Unix System5:

		        Interactive's base port  
		      -----+--------+-------+----
			   |        |       |
			   |        |   continuing development  
			   |        |   VP/ix & ISC dev drivers 
			   |        |       |
			   |  dev drivers   +--> Interactive's current release
			   |        |
			   |        +----------> Bell Tech's current release
		     continuing development  
		     Locus Merge & dev drivers  
		           |
			   +-------------------> Microport's current release

    ISC and Microport support their products by enhancing, upgrading,
    fixing, and adapting their code; Bell Tech does NO extra
    "development" - you get a copy of ISC's base port, Bell Tech's
    device drivers for the ICC, HUB, and 60Mb Tape, and that's it.

| Has anyone had experience with the Northgate or Quantus 386 machines?  Their
| advertised prices are lower than most.

    I'd stay away from Quantus - several people here at the UW have had MAJOR
    problems with the company (credit cards billed on receipt of order, then
    the order is "lost" and then "found".. + requirement of a 30-60 day wait
    until refund is processed...)  really very bad news to deal with...

    Northgate is a good place - I just hope that they aren't growing too fast!

| Thanks, Jim Weaver

  -John Plocher

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