On Tue, 9 Apr 1996 03:02:58 +0200 
 juengst@saph1.physik.uni-bonn.de (H. J|ngst, ISKP, Bonn) wrote:

 > > My MVME-147 would certainly rather not run the cpp, cc1, and as processes
 > > at the same time :-)
 > 
 > Sounds like the best environment for a multitasking/multiuser operation
 > system. :^)

Actually, I'm well aware that it's a pretty slow system, but it has other 
intrinsic value (as far as I'm concerned):

	1. It has a Real CPU with sane byte-order.

	2. 6u VME form-factor .. nice, compact computer.  I have at least
	   3 very different cases (one resembling a tower PC) I can plug
	   it into.  My friend rAT, an Amiga owner, jokingly refers to
	   it as a slow, headless, single-board A3000 with an ugly aluminum
	   rack-mount case, which happens to fit nicely in my DEC SA600 rack.

	3. Fun to hack on.  (see #1)

	4. Gives me something to control my Pertec tape drive with.
	   (I can't find my 6u->9u adaptron so I can plug my Tapemaster
	   into my sun4.)

	5. Has spiffy Ace locks on the drive bays.

	6. Backplane makes a great place to store unused SCSI drive
	   jumpers.

	7. Cool, futuristic-looking heat-sink on the VME chip.

	8. There are, at my last count, 3 people (including myself)
	   running NetBSD on an MVME-147.  I've been to a pub with
	   those other two people (though not at the same time).  If
	   there are others, let me know, especially if you're in the
	   San Francisco Bay Area ... we should get together for Guinness.

All of this, of course, boils down to "nifty appeal".

If I cared about speed, I'd buy a PC...but the only Intel chips you'll 
find at my place are Ethernet controllers and EEPROMs (and maybe a few 
sundry utiliy ICs, but you get the idea :-)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jason R. Thorpe                                       thorpej@nas.nasa.gov
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