Author: Eugene Nalimov
Date: 21:29:31 08/23/99
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Last Friday Compaq stopped development of 32-bit NT on Alpha. I fear that will nearly end low-end Alpha market, including clone market. Also I don't know what will happen with Linux on Alpha, as I think it used Alphas with Windows NT PALcode (they are much cheaper). Eugene On August 23, 1999 at 22:21:45, Robert Hyatt wrote: >On August 22, 1999 at 15:08:08, Bruce Moreland wrote: > >> >>On August 22, 1999 at 13:13:20, José de Jesús García Ruvalcaba wrote: >> >>> You have asked for opinions about which new computer to buy. Your final >>>decision depends on your specific needs and budget. >>> But I have been thinking which computer would I buy if I needed one for my own >>>personal use. >>> And after some thought, my choice is an Alpha workstation. Those Dec guys offer >>>really nice machines at reasonable prices. And they give you a lot of options to >>>choose from. >>>Their homepage: >>>http://www.dec.com >> >>I can't imagine a circumstance where I personally would want one of these, and >>here is why. >> >>1) Clones Alphas are much much cheaper. > >this is true, but the clones are also much worse machines. IE you won't >find a clone with the ev56 bus... the PC bus is 64 bits wide.. that is >pretty puny for feeding a real 64 bit architecture, yet it is what the >clone makers use to be able to use all the PC support stuff. a 256 bit bus >is very expensive and different from the PC. > >The digital alpha (500mhz) we used in paris was producing over 3x the >performance of the P6/200 I was using on ICC at the time... I was doing >80K on the P6 and 250K in an identical position on that DEC machine. On >a clone in another department here at UAB I was barely getting 2x faster >using a 533 mhz machine. > > > > >> >>2) Salvage value can't be that high. I have a Polywell 533 mhz Alpha and I >>can't figure out why anyone else would want it. My old Intel boxes are handed >>down to my kids and work great for them. >> > >common problem. :) I have several boxes laying around myself... > >>3) Performance is not that fantastic. You may get ahead of the curve for a bit, >>but the Intel machines catch up quickly and there you are with something that >>won't play Mech Warrior 3. > > > >they won't catch the 21264 for a couple of years I am afraid. It absolutely >screams... > > >> >>4) The line of questionable longevity. I know that Intel will be around in five >>years but Alpha might not be. >> >>bruce
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