3b2 suitable home computer? CHEAP!

[Gregory Gulik]

wilk at cinnet.com (Ken Wilkinson) writes:
> 
>  We have at work 2-3b2-400's and a 300 which are surplus.
>  I called a used computer dealer (Computer Horizons) to get
> a price.  He said that with the expected merger of the
> ATT and NCR businesses, that  suddenly the WHOLE WORLD
> is dumping these beast! He only "offered" $500 for three 3b2's
> and three terminals.  Now I'm wondering if maybe I should take
> these beast home (and give some to my employees).  What would the
> net consensue be for these as a home computer? What is the MIPS
> value? The version of th operating system is SYSV rel 2.2 I think.
> Could a latest version be found and for how much? Do I really want
> to do this or not? Suggestions?

Lucky you!

I've been running a 3B2/300 at home for almost 2 years.  The
biggest problem with them is that it takes so long to boot
up and shutdown.  You can't (as in physically) just turn
off the thing!  It does take about a minute to power down.


That's why I decided to start up a public access Unix site
with it!

It's been running almost continuously for the last year
and a half.  Unfortunately, I started having some hardware
problems lately, but were very easy to fix.  Heck, at
those prices, pick up two!

The downside is that the machines are VERY slow.  The 300
does about a MIP, and the 400 does almost 2 (but can
be tweaked to be faster than that).  If you don't want
them, contact me and I might buy them off of you, or
at least buy off some of the accessories.

-greg

-- 
-- 
Gregory A. Gulik
        mcdchg!motcid!gulik  ||  greg at gagme.chi.il.us
    ||  gulik at depaul.edu