Workstation pricing, Sun vs. ISA

[Jeffrey Kegler]

In article <836 at pitstop.West.Sun.COM> lwake at sun.com (Larry Wake) writes:

>First off, as Mr. Kegler himself states, using the 386i as a comparision
>box for a UNIX-only environment is less than fair.

Call me Jeffrey.  Anyway, if you don't want it compared with 80386 boxes
why do you ship the 386i?  Because the architecture is so much more wonderful
than SPARC? :-)

> [ On resale, what is a DOS using buyer ] going to do with the other
> stuff you bought, that doesn't really work too well under DOS?

The other stuff all works under DOS--in fact that how the diagnostics
run.  The only item not built with DOS primarily in mind is the BLIT
monitor.  The DPT controller, cartidge tape, mouse, etc. were all made
for the very aggressive DOS market.  You got crazy dudes out there
running DOS on all sorts of major metal.

>Even in your comparision, which by your admission chose a slightly
>more expensive Sun with no effort to mitigate the price, against a
>system that I would imagine took a bit of shopping around to assemble
>(by either you or the integrator who is packaging it), the difference
>is not tremendous.

"My admission"?  Am I on trial because I look at prices?  This is what
it is like on the street.  My clients sure shop around and when I
whine about it, they just laugh.  Welcome to the NFL.  Don't forget
your helmet.

The "difference is not tremendous" because it is not a concocted
example.  I just report the facts.  The Sun box was picked because it
is the most obvious comparison to the one I own.  The prices for Sun
were picked out of this book I found.  It had "Sun Price List" on the
cover.  If these prices are such an injustice to Sun, why do they
print the book?  Sun either has a meaningful printed price list or it
doesn't.  Nobody in this argument is entitled to more than one set of
facts.

In comparison with the quality differences, the price difference is in
fact not only "not tremendous", but insignificant.

>You'd also still be missing (uh oh, here it comes...) Sun.  We may
>not be perfect, but we're here...rather than buying off-the-shelf
>pieces, you're buying a system that was designed from the bottom up
>to work as a unit.

Sun is a high quality outfit.  Why do you think I picked them for the
comparison?  I could have done the comparison with some other vendors
who are not as good, but what would that prove?

>The intent of your entries, although muted a bit ...

I mellow as I age :-).  My "intent" is to get the best
price/performance I can.  You got a problem with that, you got a
problem with a lot of other dudes.  I have no stake in any of the
vendors and you work for one of them.  I don't try to guess or
question your intentions and you would be well advised to leave the
subject entirely alone.  Working for one of the parties involved
simply makes you a more informed participant, as far as I am
concerned.

I did not find that my price comparison conclusively supported either
side.  So if I concocted it, I sure did a lousy job of it.

-- 

Jeffrey Kegler, Independent UNIX Consultant, Algorists, Inc.
jeffrey at algor2.ALGORISTS.COM or uunet!algor2!jeffrey
1762 Wainwright DR, Reston VA 22090