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Aucbvax.2735 fa.works utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!works Tue Aug 18 06:45:52 1981 WorkS Digest V1 #8 >From DUFFEY@MIT-AI Tue Aug 18 06:42:26 1981

WorkS Digest Tue, 18 Aug 1981 Volume 1 : Issue 8

Today's Topics: Workstations - IBM's Personal Computer, Micro Benchmarks ----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 17 Aug 1981 1331-PDT From: Rubin at SRI-KL Subject: IBM Personal Computer

For those of you who stay in touch by computer rather than paper or radio: Here's the latest on the IBM PC. It's a three-piece unit, VERY slim nice-looking keyboard, with basically the same key layout as the 5250 series. The display looks cosmetically the same as a displaywriter's, and sits on a logic box with dual diskettes. Inside we have an 8088, up to 256K, five expansion slots, 80x25 screen memory with graphics 320x200 or 640x200. Figure it out, that means an OK but not great 8x8 character cell. The unit displays up to 16 foreground colors on 8 back- ground colors (but I doubt if all those are available in the graphics modes). And you get a sound generator and built-in speaker to boot!

The thing is totally modular; even the I/O cards are separate! For $ 1,565 you get a keyboard and logic unit with 16K RAM and a Basic interpreter in 40K ROM. A cassette interface is built in, I think; but no diskette or monitor at this price -- you use your TV set. Of course you can add one or two minidiskettes, lots more memory (16-64k increments), a B&W monitor (no color monitor was mentioned), RS-232C interface card, matrix printer, a joystick/paddle interface (but you have to buy somebody else's joysticks and paddles); and maybe the kitchen sink. A "business configuration" with 64K, dual diskettes, printer, and "color graphics" goes for about $ 4,500.

The big news might be the software -- there's plenty of it. If you don't like their idea of a diskette OS or Pascal compiler or word processor, you can try USCD Pascal or CPM-86, coming soon from Softech and Digital Research. (Gee, and I was looking forward to JCL). And then there's Visicalc, three Peachtree business applications, Microsoft Adventure, 3270 emulation on the way, and a new IBM Software Publishing outfit (!**8). It looks like they read Byte.

Where can you get it or ogle at it? Try your local Sears, Computerland, or IBM store (or DPD sales rep, if you're a big banana).

Darryl Rubin SRI International

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Date: 17 Aug 1981 1220-PDT From: Rubin at SRI-KL Subject: Micro benchmarks

This may sound like an answer that begs the question. But THE one true way to benchmark a micro depends entirely on your point of view. (As you see, I have an unmatched knack for discovering the obvious.) CPU architecture and instruction throughput matter the most to designers of CPU boards for number-crunching and other compute-bound stuff. Good I/O architecture and throughput score highest to OEMers of communications and data base boxes. Good compilers, spiffy user interfaces, and software tools (Xerox we hear you!) matter the most to the rest of us system developers and end users. What you will "see" is what you should measure. Just to be exhaustive if not obsessive, I'll mention the sometimes overlooked importance of good I/O controllers and peripherals, especially big fast disk; a W-I-D-E choice of hardware and software offerings; reliability, support, and the prospects for compatible future enhancement. Most of all, vendor credibility and track record. How do I benchmark thee, have I counted all the ways?. . .

Darryl Rubin SRI International

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Date: 15 AUG 1981 1411-PDT From: STEWART at PARC-MAXC Subject: Benchmarks

Quote from ???: "There are lies; there are damn lies; and there are benchmarks."

-Larry

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End of WorkS Digest *******************

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