Sun Improves Ultra Performance And Lower Prices (01jun97)

June 1, 1997

For a number of years, UNIX workstations from Sun Microsystems lagged other vendors in this market segment in regards to raw performance. With the introduction of the UltraSPARC-I last year, Sun became much more competitive. The company recently introduced a new 64-bit 300-MHz UltraSPARC-II microprocessor that with 4 MB of L2 cache memory, has a SPECint95 rating of 12.7 and a SPECfp95 rating of 19.7. On this basis, it outperforms Hewlett-Packard’s 180-MHz PA-8000 by about 10% and has about 80% the performance of Digital’s 600-MHz Alpha 21164. According to Sun, it outperforms the new 266-MHz Intel Pentium II by 30% to 90% on engineering applications.

This new chip is available in both single and dual processor workstations called the Ultra 2 Model 1300 and Model 2300 respectively. The base system comes with 128 MB of main memory expandable to 2 GB. Each unit can support up to 8.4 GB of internal disk storage and an incredible 273 GB of external storage. We were surprised however that the maximum transfer rate is only 20 MB/second since 40 MB/second technology is readily available. These units support either Sun’s Creator or Creator3D graphics.

Prices for the Model 1300 and Model 2 workstations with Creator graphics start at $26,495 and $38,495, respectively. Pricing with Creator3D graphics is $27,495 and $39,495. These new systems, which provide a 30 percent performance boost over the company’s 200MHz former flagship models, are being offered at the same price the 200MHz systems were before the company cut the prices of existing products by about 30%.

The Ultra 1 Model 140 workstation, which listed for $9,995, has now been replaced with the Ultra 1 Model 170 workstation, with a list price of $9,195. The Model 170 is architecturally the same as the Model 140 but includes a 167MHz processor instead of a 143MHz processor. Sun has also reduced prices for the SPARCstation 5 workstation with a 20" monitor, to $5,895 from $6,895, mostly due to lower monitor costs.

http://www.sun.com

Pentium II, K6 and 6x86MX CPUs Live Up To Expectations (01jun97)

June 1, 1997

Computers featuring the new Intel Pentium II, AMD K6, and Cyrix 6x86MX central processing units (CPUs) are now widely available in the market, so we decided to take a look at some underlying details regarding these workstation-class processors.

The Pentium II has turned out to be more than just a multi-media enhanced Pentium Pro. The new processor heralds a new mini-motherboard design for the processor and the L2 cache, it runs 16-bit operating system code and applications with no penalties, and the speeds are faster.

Pentium II Easier to Build, Less Elegant, But Still Faster

The Pentium Pro contained its processor and L2 memory cache next to each other in one piece and both ran at the same clock speed. This yielded great performance but apparently was difficult to manufacture. While we can’t say exactly what occurred at Intel with regard to the Pentium Pro’s evolution, this manufacturability issue probably drove the redesign more than anything else.

The Pentium II has essentially become a mini-motherboard (or daughter card) of discrete components encased as a cartridge that plugs into a computer’s motherboard. This breaks away from the tradition of more components on a single chip.

The CPU inside the cartridge is smaller, and as a result, it is faster since the electrical signals have less distance to travel. The L1 memory cache inside the chip has grown from 16K to 32K (16K instruction/16K data). The L2 cache has grown from the prevalent 256K to a standard 512K, but the distance to the CPU increased and the L2 memory speed dropped to half that of the CPU.

This overall arrangement still results in better performance since the processor can store more information in the L1 and L2 caches before going to main memory which is dramatically slower.

No 16-Bit Limits, Plus MMX

The Pentium Pro actually ran 16-bit code slower than its Pentium siblingsdid as a result of the assumption that users would be primarily using 32-bit based programs. Thus, the Pentium Pro architecture did not incorporate features that were 16-bit oriented such as frequent updates of its segment registers.

The Pentium II architecture incorporates faster updates as well as the 57 new instructions for multimedia (the MMX capability). The hardware and software architecture changes result in PCs that technically run faster although Pentium Pro users using Windows NT and 32-bit programs are unlikely to notice any dramatic differences.

For many companies there is a noticeable benefit to this 16-bit code efficiency. Setting up and managing Windows 95 is easier than Windows NT. Small businesses can network and install new computer devices on their own without the PC experts that are often required for NT (UNIX is much worse). However, Windows 95 isn’t an option if your primary programs and/or hardware do not run with Windows 95 or if you want the security options available with NT.

Other Considerations

Pentium II CPUs are limited to single and dual multi-processor configurations for the near future. That’s fine for workstations as we have seen with a loaned Intergraph 425 TDZ running leading CAD/CAM and analysis applications. Meanwhile, servers that need four processors will continue to be made with Pentium Pro CPUs.

It turns out that the Pentium II has some sort of esoteric computational bug. Intel says it is working on a software fix, but in-depth tests by IBM have not found any problems running applications. We appreciate Intel’s handling of the matter, and we don’t think the bug is worth delaying any Pentium II purchases you may be planning (we’re buying one ourselves).

Lower administration PCs (NetPCs) have also been demonstrated with the Pentium II. A few vendor tests have demonstrated Pentium II PCs being fully configured over a network by a server. For big companies, this will be of immense help if it works.

Clone CPUs Face A Lock-Out

The Pentium II’s cartridge holder talks to the rest of the system via a new connection called Slot 1 and a proprietary bus on the motherboard called the P6 bus. The P6 processor bus currently runs at the same speed, 66 MHz, that the previous non-proprietary Pentium bus ran at. But Intel plans to increase this to 100 MHz by 1998 with new motherboard chipsets that will provide additional undisclosed features.

The extra performance sounds great although the proprietary PxGET http://siteinfo.a9.com/data/6lSv01dR0100Ll?cli=10

HP Reaffirms Its Commitment To UNIX (01jun97)

June 1, 1997

We recently had an opportunity to attend Hewlett-Packard’s 1997 executive briefing for industry analysts and came away impressed with how quickly the company is reacting to the changes sweeping through the computer industry. HP seems to redefine itself more rapidly than any other major company in this industry. The three key subjects this year were the continuing explosion of the Internet/intranet, the emergence of electronic commerce as one of the growth areas of the future and the recognition that Windows NT has become a key industrial tool.

From Lou Platt (president and CEO) and Rick Belluzzo (executive vice-president and general manager of HP’s Computer Organization) on down, everyone at HP goes out of their way to emphasize that UNIX will continue to play a significant role in the company’s product line for years to come. Microsoft’s Windows NT is becoming increasingly important within the technical community, but large organizations seem reluctant to make a wholesale switch at this time.

There are two reasons for this; many engineering and information technology managers believe that UNIX is more reliable and more scalable than NT, and since the price of UNIX workstations has come down dramatically recently, few managers want to incur the pain of an operating system transition to save perhaps less than $10,000 per seat.

HP is taking a number of steps to maintain its existing UNIX business while at the same time taking advantage of the growing interest in Windows NT.

1) It has merged together the previously separate technical and commercial UNIX servers operations. The differences between the two classes of servers are fairly inconsequential today and many organizations use the same systems to support both the high-end computational needs of engineers and the data processing needs of MIS departments.

2) More significantly, HP is moving its UNIX workstation organization into the company’s Personal Information Products Group. This will facilitate providing users with a mix of UNIX and NT desktop systems. In the past, the Workstation operation has had a very pro-active industry marketing operation while the PC operation had little activity in this area. We believe that combining the two groups in one umbrella organization will result in a more coordinated product strategy for HP’s technical customers.

3) To support the blending together of the UNIX and NT worlds, HP has introduced new software products that facilitate operating mixed environments including the Enterprise File System which we discussed last month.

4) As we also described last month, HP is forging a closer working relationship with Microsoft. This relationship will be particularly important later this decade when Intel and HP release their mutually developed Merced (or I-64 as it is known in some quarters) microprocessor. That chip will require a new 64-bit version of Windows NT if it is to be successful.

Acquiring PCs In Today’s Rapidly Changing Market (01jun97)

June 1, 1997

One of the questions we frequently are asked is whether an organization should purchase new PCs now or wait since performance keeps going up and prices are coming down. Obviously, one answer does not fit all situations. The right solution depends upon the age and configuration of existing hardware and the software you are currently using or would like to use.

In general, however, we believe that architects and engineers should be provided with the latest equipment an organization can afford and that older units be moved to people with less demanding tasks. It is somewhat shocking to find that many technical people have better systems at home than they have at work.

Too many financial managers believe that they are saving their companies money when they hold off upgrading systems that have not yet been fully depreciated. It does not take a large improvement in the productivity of an professional who costs $80,000 per year including benefits to justify a new computer that might be an order of magnitude faster than what is currently being used.

The Price/Performance Explosion

The accompanying table tracks the typical PC one could buy for about $3,000 during the past five years. We have used Gateway 2000 for this data since that company has been very consistent in its product offerings. For the past decade or so, the guideline in the computer industry was that price/performance doubled every two years. Welcome to 1997 where it appears that this ratio is doubling annually. A number of factors have caused this change:

• Intel has significantly improved the performance of its microprocessors to the point where they compete effectively with all except the best RISC processors used in UNIX workstations.
• In order to maintain its market dominance, Intel has aggressively priced its new microprocessors. When the Pentium first came out, a 60-MHz version sold for nearly $1,000. Less than four years later, a 233-MHz Pentium II (see related article in this issue covering this new microprocessor and some of its competitors) sells for just $636 in similar quantities. This is nearly an order of magnitude increase in price/performance during this short period of time.
• The huge volume of PCs sold has resulted in incredible economies of scale. While less than 500,000 UNIX workstations will be sold this year, over 80 million PCs will be shipped worldwide.
• Memory costs have plummeted. Until about 18 months ago we were paying about $50 per megabyte for DRAM memory. Supply caught up with demand and prices dropped to under $10 per megabyte. Machines with 64 MB memories are readily available for less than $3,000. In many cases, a large memory can have a more significant impact on performance than microprocessor speed. Likewise, disk storage costs have also dropped like a rock.
• Graphics accelerator cards have come down in price to the point where the PC manufacturers include them in the base configuration.

Getting The Most For Your Dollar

Having spent a fair amount of time watching the PC evolve, we have a few suggestions on procuring new PCs.

• You are better off buying a system somewhat below the top-of-line and then replacing it more frequently than you would if you bought a more expensive system.
• Install plenty of memory. Most CAD and GIS packages thrive on memory and at $8 to $10 per MB, you can easily afford 64MB or even 128MB.
• Do not ignore a high performance backup device. With 3.2 GB disks commonly used today, we recommend a 4 GB cartridge tape drive.
• Buy the entire system from one source. Your time is too valuable to be spent configuring hardware and software for your computer to work.

The Melding Together Of UNIX And Windows (01apr97)

April 1, 1997

Many organizations are moving toward a combination of UNIX, Windows 95, and Windows NT systems. Interoperability requires the ability to manage heterogeneous configurations in an integrated manner, the ability to share data files, and the ability to share application programs. With the proper hardware and software, systems can be linked together in a common network, users can communicate via e-mail, files can be transferred from one system to another, and access can be provided to applications loaded on different types of systems.

None of this occurs today, however, without considerable effort on the part of both the system vendor and the user. Ideally, a vendor should be able to provide both types of systems since this provides the understanding of system idiosyncrasies necessary to make interoperability work. Unfortunately, only a few vendors (Hewlett-Packard, IBM, and Digital) provide both types of systems.

The number of UNIX systems being shipped today is up only slightly from a few years ago while Windows NT is starting to take off. As an example, market researcher IDC claims that 725,000 copies of Windows NT Server were shipped in 1996 compared to 602,000 UNIX servers. The ratio of Windows to UNIX desktop systems is probably more like five to one today.

Sharing Files In A Heterogeneous Environment

Interoperability between UNIX and NT is rarely 100 percent transparent, but with the proper tools and procedures, it can be fairly painless. The most serious interoperability problem is providing secure file access across divergent systems. An example of how this is being addressed is Hewlett-Packard’s new Enterprise File System (EFS). This software implements a single file naming convention for workstations, servers and PCs running a variety of operating systems including UNIX and Windows NT.

With EFS, an NT user in Europe with appropriate access rights, can retrieve a file from a UNIX system in California without extensive knowledge about that system. It just requires the proper pathname for this to occur. HP has built security features into EFS that prevent unauthorized users from accessing files that are restricted to certain groups of individuals.

Some readers may feel that they can already do this with NFS (Sun Microsystems’ Network File System), but NFS is basically designed for use on a local area network (LAN). Without getting into the gory details, which only a system administrator would enjoy reading about, this is neat technology that can help organizations work with a blend of UNIX and Microsoft-based systems (3.1, 95, and NT). It is particularly useful in situations where different systems are scattered around the globe.

Microsoft and HP Team Up

An indication of how serious HP is becoming concerning the exploding market for Windows NT systems, was the recent joint announcement HP made with Microsoft. The two companies have agreed to:

• Offer software products and services that will help reduce the total cost of ownership of enterprise information management systems. This will involve HP’s professional services organization which will offer system administration consulting support to user organization. HP will also incorporate Microsoft’s Zero Administration Windows (ZAW) initiative into its system management products:
• Combine HP OpenView network management software with Microsoft’s System Management Server to provide better administration capabilities.
• Promote common messaging standards to facilitate the exchange of e-mail between HP’s UNIX systems and those running Windows NT.
• Provide HP consulting services and system support to NT users.
• Cooperate in many other areas of joint system software development and technical support.

It is obvious to us that HP is preparing itself for the day that UNIX runs out of steam. We feel that this is a significantly better approach than currently being taken by Sun Microsystems and Silicon Graphics, both of whom respond "NEVER" when asked when they might support Windows NT. This latter attitude works against users who for one reason or another, find themselves in the midst of a transition to NT.