From: tomster@bigwpi.WPI.EDU (Thomas Richard Dibble)
Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.advocacy,comp.sys.mac.advocacy
Subject: Re: Macintosh bigots
Date: 18 Nov 92 20:35:32
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA 01609-2280
	<1992Nov13.141945.18628@itsmail1.hamilton.edu>
	<1992Nov14.150215.28192@wam.umd.edu> <BxptLr.DAy@news.cso.uiuc.edu>
	<1992Nov14.191114.19676@athena.mit.edu> <Bxs22G.1EC@news.cso.uiuc.edu>
NNTP-Posting-Host: bigwpi.wpi.edu
In-reply-to: walk@mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu's message of Sun, 15 Nov 1992 21:51:50 GMT

In article <Bxs22G.1EC@news.cso.uiuc.edu> walk@mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu (Todd Walk) writes:

   Comparing a Q950 w/ a 486DX/50 isn't really good, because a Q950 is set
   up to compete against workstations, while the 486 system is set up
   to do the stuff slower boxes do but faster (you could by the Q950
   for the smaller jobs, but why would you?).  Also, because of the shortage
   of Q950s right now, the price is higher because of demand.

Thought I'd put in a follow-up to another post about here.  The UseNet wouldn't
accept it for one reason or another the first time, and I feel it applies
here:


Subject: Re: Speed Query Quadra vs. 486
In article <shopsis.35@panther.adelphi.edu> shopsis@panther.adelphi.edu (Charles Shopsis) writes:

   I'm a long-term MS-DOS user, not because of any religious reasons ... 
   primarily from circumstance. I'm fairly "computer literate", and get asked 
   lots of questions from my less experienced colleagues, but I know nothing 
   about Macs.  A physical chemist who has written a C program to do extensive 
   calculations is in need of speed.  Right now he's using a 386SX 16 Mhx 
   machine, or time-sharing on a busy VAX.  Someone in our building has been 
   boasting about the speed of his new Quadra.  Does anyone have any benchmark 
   data on the speed of this machine relative to an 80486/50 or to 
   workstations?  I suspect this may be a FAQ; I apologize in advance if it is.

Run out to your local newstand and pick up the Nov. 1992 issue of Byte.  That
should come close to answerring your question.  The article of which I speak
starts on page 192, and is entitled "Stalking the Ultimate Workstation".

	A brief synopsis:

	Byte considered only two programs in their testing, AutoCAD and
FrameMaker.  In AutoCAD, they loaded a large file from disk, regenerated
the drawing after some subtle changes, redrew the screen, and rotated the
image 30 degrees.  In Framemaker, they openned a document, reformatted it
from 10 to 12 points, and timed an import of 100 pages of raw ASCII text and a
5-Mb image.  As far as the AutoCAD tests go, the Compaq Deskpro 50 tied for
second with an HP-Apollo 9000, behind an IBM RS/6000 Powerstation.  The Mac
Quadra 900 scored dead last of the seven workstations tested.

	Also listed were the prices.  For the three mentioned (all in CAD-
optimized configuration)

	Mac Quadra 900		HP-Apollo	IBM RS/6000	Compaq
	$17,196			$17,390		$36,260		$12,163

!
!
I was, to put it lightly, quite surprised at this.

(BTW, for you Mac-oids, the Quadra *did* come in second (behind the IBM)
in the FrameMaker test, with the Compaq, under Windows 3.1, a distant
third.)

I don't mean to imply that this has universal ramifications.  The FrameMaker
figures show that.  It does, however, put quite an argument forward for
the 486-50 if you're running AutoCAD, or even most other CAD programs
(AutoCAD was chosen because it is the most widespread of CAD packages,
I believe also on the Mac).  The article went on to name the Quadra the winner
because (1) it is less than half the price of the IBM, and (2) it stood
far ahead of all the others as far as DTP goes (the FrameMaker test).  The
IBM was given second, the Compaq third.


			---- tomster@wpi.wpi.edu


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