Newsgroups: comp.sys.ncr
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!maverick.ksu.ksu.edu!hoss!nolan
From: nolan@helios.unl.edu (Michael Nolan)
Subject: Re: NCR's 4000 series to replace towers???
Message-ID: <nolan.670834286@helios>
Sender: news@hoss.unl.edu (Network News Administer)
Reply-To: nolan@helios.unl.edu
Organization: University of Nebraska - Lincoln
References: <5900@holston.UUCP>
Date:  5 Apr 91 06:51:26 GMT
Lines: 35

barton@holston.UUCP (Barton A. Fisk) writes:


>I have heard that people who used to order towers are now
>ordering the 4000 series instead, is this true?

First of all, it's the 3000 series, not the 4000 series.

>This is understandable since the 4000 boasts high performance
>enhancements.

Only at the higher end (3400 and above).  At the low end the 3000's are just
NCR's PC's with a slightly faster transfer rate (maybe) and unix.

>Does this mean that the tower is destined for the 
>unsupported list???

Well, eventually EVERYTHING goes in the bit bucket.  NCR's official policy
(as told to those in attendance at the NCR Unix User Group meeting last fall)
was that Tower development and production continues, and that the 'market
will decide'.  Yeah, right!  Perhaps some additional word on this will come
out at NUCON in San Antonio in 4 weeks, but I expect that the Tower 750 will
be the last new Tower.  (Assuming that the 750 is ever released as anything
other than an upgrade kit.)  NCR has said that SVR4 will probably NOT
be ported to the Tower, only to the 3000.  (This may change if AT&T gets
control of NCR.)

One thing NCR has been very good at in the past is continuing support for
older systems long past their sales lifetime.  (Tower XP and mini-Tower 
buyers may flame me for that statement, though.)  I'm not getting rid 
of my 1 1/2 year old Tower/450 right away, although I might get a 3400
just to have something 'interesting' to play around with.

Michael Nolan
nolan@helios.unl.edu
