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Re: Lucent Technologies & Sun Microsystems

I fear this thread doesn't really belong here, but I'm compelled to
reply
 
>     "Why download every program you have to run?"
> 
> Why not download it?  On many (most?) PeeCee networks, the major apps are kept
> on a fileserver and downloaded right now.  Besides, on a modern 100Mbps
> ethernet, network transfers are nearly as fast as disk transfers.  NCs are
> being targeted at the corporate market so the network infrastructure is
> already in place.
a.) I have a _modern_ 10Mbps network
b.) How big is Office 97, again?
c.) *Total* bandwidth is not the same as *available* bandwidth

>     "PCs are cheaper"
> 
> Yes, but not cheap to maintain.  The sysadmin/computer (or sysadmin/user)
> ratio tends to be higher in the PeeCee world than in the Unix workstation
> world because a Unix system is easy to maintain remotely.  Of course you
> can always run Unix on a PeeCee and have the best of both worlds :-)
Have seen the numbers ($$$) but am not sure they are believable.  No
opinion.

>     "PCs are more expandable/upgradable"
> 
> Straw man argument.  Many motherboards have onboard SCSI/Ethernet/Video
> already ... what's left to expand except RAM, and you can certainly
> add RAM to an NC.
So now you're telling me I have to replace a whole motherboard whenever
the video circuitry dies?  What's cheap about that?

>     "Java is slow"
> 
> It doesn't have to be.  With JIT compilation or Java ASICs there is no
> reason you can't get good performance.  But remember, the type of apps
> that a typical office user needs do not necessarily require a high
> performance machine (unless you use Microsoft bloatware as your
> example :-)
I agree.

> IMHO, the NC is a good idea simply because it allows better use of
> resources.
Assuming those resources are already in place...

Personally, I would like to mix my environment.  P.C.'s for the office
workers, N.C.'s (or some variant) for our manufacturing area.  That way,
shop workers get a robust solution that:
a.) I can control
b.) doesn't allow them to browse the network
c.) is relatively cheap

+++
Paul M.
Opinions expressed are my own.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Paul MacDonald
ABB Power T&D Co. Inc.
abbtnd@erols.com