Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!decwrl!bacchus.pa.dec.com!granite.pa.dec.com!mwm
From: mwm@raven.pa.dec.com (Mike (Real Amigas have keyboard garages) Meyer)
Subject: Re: Real System Comparisons
In-Reply-To: daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com's message of 27 Jul 90 02:03:14 GMT
Message-ID: <MWM.90Aug9131406@raven.pa.dec.com>
Sender: news@wrl.dec.com (News)
Organization: Missionaria Phonibalonica
References: <13466@cbmvax.commodore.com>
Distribution: usa
Date: 9 Aug 90 13:14:06
Lines: 73

Ok, back to the original. I went out and got actual prices...

In article <13466@cbmvax.commodore.com> daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com (Dave Haynie) writes:

	   PC Equivalent for A3000:

	   - 80386DX @ 25MHz
	   - 80387DX @ 25MHz
	   - Slot for low cost 80486 add-in
At A3000 price levels, the 386 + 486 add-in is a waste. The problems
with EISA slots makes it worse. I blew it off, and went with a 486
system with a socket for the Wietek 4167

	   - 2 Megs basic, 16 Megs total 32 bit memory
	   - 31kHz Video (plain VGA will do)
	   - Unoccupied serial and parallel ports
All done. In fact, there are more serial ports than on the 3000.

	   - On board 32 bit DMA-driven hard disk controller
Well, Dave says that ESDI won't do for this, and nobody I talked to
had systems with on-board SCSI. I went with a SCSI card in the EISA
slot instead.

	   - EISA bus with at least four slots
Got 6, but the SCSI went into one.

The above system, quoted from MA Laboraties, Inc. in San Jose is
$3140, without the monitor. That includes the 40MB SCSI disk that CBM
insists you buy.

	   - Microsoft or similar mouse
$69 from Central Computer Systems in Santa Clara.

	   - Microsoft Windows 3.0
$95 from ditto.

That brings it to $3304, which is the configuration I'd buy if I went
that way. Of course, if I dropped the Amiga, I'd go with a DECStation,
but that's another story. Add in the Wietek chip for about $450
(couldn't find the quote) brings it up to A3000/25-40 price levels.
Except it's got about twice the CPU of the system you asked for.

   Well, that's the best equivalent I can cook up.  It's far from perfect,
   but then, an exact equivalent is impossible.  I don't think anything's way
   off base here; if so, flame away.

Arbitrary flame: I think this is about as meangingful as measuring
MIPS (but it is entertaining!)

More meaningful flame: You're crippling the IBM clone by asking for a
386 upgradeable to a 486. If I were looking at buying a system and
considering the A3000, I'd be looking at '486 systems instead.

	Anyway, does such a beast exist?

Apparently not. SCSI on the motherboard doesn't seem to exist, and
you've said ESDI won't do instead. Got any other suggestions?

	What would it cost?  Around $3000, or can you get a Taiwan Special
	with all this stuff for $1500 as lots of people seem to think.

Well, I can get something that is identical to that system for _my_
purposes for between $1500 and $2000. Except that it's completely
unsuitable for my purposes for other reasons. For around $3000, I get
a system with more CPU punch, but otherwise comparable to what CBM
sells for $4000.

	<mike
--
Il brilgue: les toves lubricilleux			Mike Meyer
Se gyrent en vrillant dans le guave,			mwm@relay.pa.dec.com
Enmimes sont les gougebosqueux,				decwrl!mwm
Et le momerade horsgrave.
