Subject: Re: DECsystem 5900 success story
To: None <port-pmax@NetBSD.ORG>
From: Toru Nishimura <nisimura@is.aist-nara.ac.jp>
List: port-pmax
Date: 04/24/1997 12:13:36
>> For those who donno DS5900, it is 19" rack mounted large beast in the
>> age of TurboChannel and MIPS processors in Digital's product history.
>> Our DS5900 is fully loaded with hardware gadgets; a bunch of 2GB 5" FH
>> RZ58, CD-ROM drive, 4mm DAT drive and TC FDDI option.  Now I'm
>> confident with NetBSD/pmax can work well with such a large system.
>
> Except for the rack and the funny turbochannel extender, the main
> difference between the 5900 and the 5000/240 is about three times the
> maintenence cost :-)

According to product handout, the major differences between desktop
Personal DECstation 5000/25 and DECsystem 5900 is just a CPU speed
(latter is 40Hz) besides TC clock.

I ran 10 parallel kernel make (make -j 10 netbsd), and concluded the
5900 was simply underpowered.

I agree with running 5900 is just a waste of money.  The units were
removed from computer room this morning.  R.I.P.

Tohru Nishimura
Nara Insititute of Science and Technology