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Date: Tue, 6 Dec 1994 17:11:58 -0700 (MST) From: Bruce Grubb <bgrubb@freedom.NMSU.Edu> To: macgifts@sumex-aim.stanford.edu Subject: [*] Mac & IBM compare-Version 1.9.9 {resubmit} pt1 Archive name: mac-ibm-compare199.txt category: general information, text I am resubmitting this because the first submission got corrupted. This is version 1.9.9 of this report & should replace mac-ibm-compare198.tx= t. Changes: PPC and Pentium info updated Due to the rapid changes in computers I am interested in contributions=20 from Digest and other readers to flesh out, correct, or point out=20 confusing parts in the report. Send comments and information to AOL:=20 BruceG6069; or Internet: BruceG6069@aol.com. Keep it short because=20 e-mail limit on these sites is _much_ smaller than my sheet. This report compares the Mac and IBM machines CPUs, hardware {monitor=20 support and expansion}, operating systems {includes number crunching},=20 networking & printing; it covers not only present hardware/software=20 statistics and features but also future possibilities. Despite its condensed and generalized format it still provides some thought= - provoking reading on the relative merits, problems, and deficiencies of=20 Macs=20 and IBM PCs. It also contains some FAQ answers about both machines and=20 the upcoming PowerPC line. Note: for proper reading off line this document should be in 9 point Monac= o. -------------------------blurb ends, report begins-------------------------= -- Mac & IBM Info-Version 1.9.9 {Dec 1, 1994} Note: for proper reading off line this document should be in 9 point Monac= o. The reason for this general data sheet is to consolidate and condense the= =20 information out there, so that people in both camps can be clear and accura= te=20 about what they are saying about their machines. Since computer technology is always changing there are always going to be= =20 points in which the sheet will be lacking or incorrect on information. So,= =20 please just don't say the sheet is incomplete or incorrect but also give me= =20 clear and concise information to make the needed corrections. To keep this= =20 data sheet accurate please provide article citations,if possible, for the information provided or corrected and keep opinions to a minimum. As this = is=20 a general data sheet, keep the info provided short and simple. Please note that all magazine dates are in mm/dd/yy formats. Finally, keep the information relevant to the section corrected. Also, please edit the crossposting down before following this up. Thank you. Contents CPUs Hardware PowerPC rumors Monitor support Expansion Operating system Mac IBM PowerPC Networking & Printing The CPUs {Nov, 1994) Note: I am only showing Motorola & Intel CPUs used in Mac and most IBM/PC clone machines. For example, since Apple never used the Motorola 68008 and 68010 in the Mac these chips are not listed. Years indicate use of CPU chi= p in new machines. Cache is "where data can be stored to avoid having to read the data from a slower device such as a disk" (Dictionary of Computer Terms:61-DTC). Both IBM and Mac use caches external to CPUs which increase the speed of the CP= U but are not a part of it. Since there are many different external caches, each having a different effect on CPU performance, with some built-in {present Macs}, other optional but installed {IBM}, and are machine, selle= r or expansion dependent, I have decided to leave them out of the list. Note: ALU is industry's de-facto standard for CPU bit classification. IBM ALU Registers External CPU Features/ CPU data address cache Notes 8088(6) 16 16 8 (16) 20 none {1981-9} {197?-89} 80186 16 16 16 20 none {198?-9?} 8088(6) segmenting 80286 16 16 16 24 none segmenting + Protected Mode* 386sx 32 32 16 24 none 80386* 80386 32 32 32 32 none MMU & 32-bit Protected Mode= =20 486sx 32 32 32 32 one 8K 80486 w/o FPU 80486 32 32 32 32 one 8K new CPU core {~386 + FPU} 486dx2 32 32 32 32 one 8K doubled internal clock rate*= * 486dx3 32 32 32 32 one 16K 80486 w/o FPU; IBM chip [Blue Lightning] between 486dx2 and Pentium 5= =20 lines in speed (BYTE 04/94:2= 2) DX4 32 32 32 32 one 16K 80486; Intel's version of th= e 486dx3. Pentium 32 32 64 32 8K code, CRISC-like chip, =20 [P5] 8K data, 2 instructions/cycle max = =20 Branch 2-issue superscalar, 386=20 target Write-Back, 64-bit FPU, pipelining; 114 chips/Wafer 66 MHz-SPECint92: 66.3;=20 SPECfp92: 62.5; 13-16 watts*= ** P54c 3.3 volts with 6.5 watts. 203 chips/wafer 100 MHz-SPECint92: 100;=20 SPECfp92: 80*** P6 CRISC chip, .4 micron;=20 late-1995; transition chip (BYTE 04/94:22) P7 RISC or VLIW with a hardware x86 code translator, late-1990's**** 386sl: low power (3.3V) 386sx with built-in power management. Laptop use. 386slc: IBM 5V 386sx with a 16k on-chip cache added (John H. Kim). As far = as John H. Kim knows it is only used on IBM models. 486slc: Neither of two chips that have this name have a FPU. Cyrix: basica= lly 486sx in 386sx socket with 1k cache and improved integer math speed. IBM:= =20 equivalent to 486sx with a 16k on-chip cache. 486slcs: IBm chip equivalent to 486dx2 - FPU with a 16-bit external data pa= th and 16k on-chip cache. 486dlc2: IBM chip equivalent to 486dx2 - FPU and with 16k on-chip cache. P24T{Pentium}: 64 bit internally, 32 bit for system I/O. Pentium/150 .4 micron, mid-1995 (PC Week 05/30/94) *16 MB maximum RAM ** ex. for 486dx2/50, chip runs 50 MHz rest of machine runs at 25 MHz. *** (Hambrecht & Quist/MacWeek 09/20/93; Len Schultz; PC Week 01/10/94; BYT= E 6/94:265). {P54c is called "Pentium II" in Hambrecht & Quist/MacWeek artic= le}=20 CRISC {media term}: CISC chip with RISC-like feature (Computer Reseller Ne= ws, Oct 28, 1991 n445 p140(2)). CPU - 60 MHz ~$575; 90 MHz - ~$600 (PC Week 07/04/94); SPECmarks are with a Level 2 memory cache and a 66 MHz 128-bit {64-bit interleaved} bus. Pentiums have a minor bug in the FPU. **** Computergram International, 06/02/94; MacWeek 05/30/94. VLIW (Very Lo= ng Instruction Word) is supposed to be faster and cheaper than RISC but it ha= s a major problem in that VLIW binary code is _so_ CPU specific as to be TOTALLY incompatible with _any_ future VLIW CPUs {it would be as if 386 co= de would not run on 486 and 486 code would not run on a Pentium} (InfoWorld, 01/17/94 v16 n3 p29(2); Microprocessor Report, 02/14/94 v8 n2 p18(4)) Mac ALU Registers External bus CPU Features/ CPU data address cache Notes 68000 16 32 16 24 none {1984-93} 16 MB limit* 68020 32 32 32 32 256 code {1987-92} parallel processin= g 68030 32 32 32 32 two 256 {1988-94} 68020 + MMU, 16K burst mode. 68EC040 32 32 32 32 two 4K 68040 w/o FPU and MMU {~6802= 0} 68LC040 32 32 32 32 two 4K 68040 w/o FPU {~68030} 68040V 32 32 32 32 two 4K 68040 w/o FPU, PowerBooks-19= 94 68040 32 32 32 32 two 4K MMU, FPU, pipelining, double= d=20 internal clock rate** 68050=09development discontinued in favor of 68060 68060 32 32 32 32 two 8k 68040 + better FPU, supersca= lar Branch pipelining, cache line burst= s, target 3.3 V, self power management= , equivalent capabilities &=20 speeds to Pentium {P54c}*** Note: the now defunct NeXT and Amiga machines used the 68030 and 68040. *Earlier 68000 Mac designs created a 4 MB limit. ** "Current 68040 chips specified as 25-, 33-, and 40-MHz are already capab= le of running internal processing circuitry at 50, 66 and 80 MHz, respectivel= y" (Electronic Buyer's News Aug 20, 1993; pointed out by Bradley Lamont and Motorola 68040 data book in 92). Apple now markets 68040 Macs as 'clock doubled' though speed is NOT in the 486dx2's class {see CPUs Comparison List}.=20 ***Motorola claims (MC-68060.txt). Will be used in Macs _only_ via third party accelerators. The following PowerPCs are to be in both IBM and Mac machines. They are Motorola/IBM RISC CPU chips. PowerPC ALU Registers External bus CPU Features/ CPU data address cache Notes MPC601 32 int 32 64 32 32K 3 instructions/cycle max, [.6] fp 64 combined 258 chips/wafer, =20 I/D 80 MHz-SPECint92: 77; SPECfp92: 93. 9 {66}, and ~11 {80 MHz} watts* MPC601 32 int 32 64 32 32K Faster and less power consum= ing [.5] fp 64 combined version of .6 MPC601. 100 MH= z I/D uses 5 watts (MacWeek 04/04/= 94) MCP601+ Lowpower version of 601 100 MHz at 2 watts. MPC603 two 8k Systems delayed in favor of= =20 MPC603+ two 16k 603+, 80 MHz-SPECint92: 77; I/D SPECfp92: 93. 2.0 {66}, 3.0 watts {80 MHz}* MPC604 32 int 32 64 32 two 16k 4 instructions/cycle max,=20 fp 64 I/D 373 chips/wafer, 100 MHz-SPECint92: 160;=20 SPECfp92: 165, Systems: 95.* MPC620 64 64 128 40 two 32k 133 MHz-SPECint92: 225; =20 64 e SPECfp92: 300 {projected} 80 v Systems: 2H 1995. (BYTE 11/94:113-20) e - effective v - virtural *(Byte 8/93:84; Hambrecht & Quist/MacWeek 9/20/93; BYTE 04/94:61; MacUser 06/94:40; BYTE 6/94:265). MPC601/50 MHz-$165; MPC601/66 MHz-$165; MPC601/80 MHz-$248; MPC601/100 MHz {Nov 94}-$399 (Announcement 10/17/94) Apple showed off a MPC601/120 Mac (MacWeek 05/23/94) MPC603/66 MHz-$165; MPC603/80-$195; MPC604/?? - $549=20 (Announcement 10/17/94) MPC601/80 SPECmarks are w/o a Level 2 memory cache. With 1 MB Level 2 memo= ry cache the SPECmarks are SPECint92: 85; SPECfp92: 105 (Motorola) Both machi= nes use 33 MHz 64-bit bus (BYTE 04/94). All MPC603 SPECmarks are with 1 MB Level 2 cache (Motorola). The 603+ which will be faster than the MPC603 and have double the cache (MacWeek 05/23/94). MPC630 and MPC7xx rumored. CPUs Comparison List As a general rule of thumb Motorola chips are faster than Intel chips at t= he same frequency {030/25 ~=3D 386/33; 040/33 ~=3D 486/50}, but Intel has chi= ps at higher frequencies than Motorola, so this evens out. The Macintosh Bible 4th edition and IBM System User, 1/92 v13 n1 p43(1) support the comparison= s made between Intel and Motorola chips below and statements made here. <=3D80186 ~ 68000 {16-bit vs 16/24/32-bit chip. The 4 MB limit on the 680= 00 Macs brings the chip in them down to the 80186 and lower chips, otherwise the 68000 would compare to the 80286.} 286 ~ 68020 {hardware segmenting vs. 68020's 32-bit ALU and having no usable built-in MMU unlike their successors [80386, 68030]. The use of th= e hardware segmenting and the 16-bit nature put the 286 between the 60000 an= d 68030 in features and the LC's 16-bit data path strenghthens the 286 ~ 680= 20 comparison.} 386 ~ 68030 {32-bit chips with MMUs, and protected memory. At present application protected memory is limited to A/UX 3.0. System 7.x uses this feature to protect a RAM disk created by the Memory control panel which is supported only on Powerbooks, Quadras and Power Macintoshes. The Color Classic and LCII 16-bit hardware data paths makes the 68030s in them comparative to 386sxs.} 486sx ~ 68LC040 {same as 486 and 68040 without the FPU; used as a low co= st solution for people who do not need the FPU. Only in comparison with Wind= ows programs does the 68LC040 approch 486SLC2 - chip cache or '486dx2sx' speeds.} 486 ~ 68040 {32-bit microprocessors with built-in FPU, MMU, 8K internal cache (which is implemented as two 4K caches in the 68040 and one in the 486). Please note that MHz for MHz a 486dx2 outperforms a 68040. For example a 68040/40 is ~95% the speed of a 486dx2/66 (Ingram 93 report)} Pentium ~ 68060 {Both are superscalar, but may flounder against the cheaper= , faster MHz, less heat producing, and partly ported to PowerPC chips.}=20 PowerPC =3D PowerPC {This CPU line is planned to run programs from DOS, Win= dows, OS/2 and Mac OS through the CHRP platform. Insignia's Windows emulator for Mac produces 486sx/25 speeds on Power Macintosh 6100/60 and 486dx/33 o= n the Power Macintosh 8100/80. Native code runs two - four times those spee= ds and is ~1.50 times a Pentium of the same MHz (Ingram 94 report).} Hardware=20 PowerPC machines=20 IBM PowerPC: <$3,000 model delayed. Apple PowerPC {Power Macintosh} $1,819 - 6100/60: 8/250; 1 PDS, 1 cache slot {Speed, Native: 2-4x 68040/33, emulated 68EC040: 030/25 to 040/40} $2,899 - 7100/66: MPC601/66, 8/500/1 MB VRAM, 3 NuBus 90, 1 PDS, 1 cache slot; {Speed: 1.25 times faster than 6100/60} $4,249 - 8100/80: MPC601/80, 8/500/2 MB VRAM/256 Kb, Level 2 memory cache, 3 NuBus 90, 1 PDS slot; 2 SCSI-2 ports. {Speed: 2.00 times faster than 6100/60} $6,379 - 8100/110: 16/2 GB/CD-ROM, Level 2 memory cache, 3 NuBus 90, 1 PDS slot; 2 SCSI-2 ports. AV cards cause a video speed decrease of ~25% while VRAM causes a increase of ~10% (MacUser 05/94:83). Ethernet and GeoPort are standard features Prices are averages and do not include color monitor and keyboard. (PC Week 08/30/93; PR Newswire 10/19/93; MacWeek 11/29/93; MacWeek 01/17/9= 4; PC Week 01/31/94; MacWeek 02/07/94; MacWeek 02/28/94; TidBITS #214; MacWeek 03/07/94; TidBITS #217; MacWeek 09/12/94) Apple has developed an 68EC040 emulator that is twice the speed of the present one (MacWeek 06/13/94) Apple Power Macintosh Configurations 6100/60 - 8/250/CD: $2,029; 16/350/SoftWindows {Insignia's Windows\ emulator}: $2,499; AV card: $479 7100/66 - 8/500/CD/1 MB VRAM: $3,109; 16/500/SoftWindows/1 MB VRAM: $3,419= ; 16/500/CD/AV/2 MB VRAM: $3,699 8100/80 - 16/500/CD/2 MB VRAM: $4,850; 16/500/CD/AV/2 MB VRAM: $5,062; 16/1 GB/CD/2 MB VRAM: $5,379 (MacWeek 02/07/94; MacWeek 03/07/94; TidBITS #217; MacWeek 09/12/94). 6100/66 and 7100/80: Nov 94 (MacWeek 08/15/94) Nitro {Q1 95}: replacement for Power Mac 8100; 3 PCI slots (MacWeek 06/13/= 94) Tsunami {Q1 95}: 6 PCI slots, no built-in video (MacWeek 06/13/94) TNT Macs {Q1 95}: MPC601/03/04 <=3D150 MHz; 6 PCI slots, DAV slot, better = and faster video {32-bit in/out} (MacWeek 08/09/93; MacWeek 01/17/94; MacWeek 06/13/94) Alchemy {June 95}: entry level machine, modular design; 1 PCI slot Catalyst {June 95}: replacement for Power Mac 6100-7100; 3 PCI slots Mac->PowerPC upgrades Apple - 68040 PDS Upgrade Card: $699; 63x MPC601/68040 card - $599; logic-board upgrades range between $1000 - $2,000. In general every Macintosh that had a CD-ROM configuration has {or will have} a logic-board upgrade option. DayStar Digital Inc. - 66 MHz and 80 MHz processor upgrade cards for the Centris/Quadra 650, and the Quadra 700, 800, 900 and 950. Have PowerMac RO= Ms on the cards and allow 60ns 72-pin SIMM expansion. Has trade in for owners= of old cards. Value range of old cards: from 15% to 50%.=20 Price: $1,200 to $1,700 dependent on speed. (MacWeek 01/17/94; MacUser 05/94:36) Reply Corp. - MPC603 logic boards. Other PowerPCs: Canon-NeXT (NB 05/11/93), and Sun {rumored}. Other potentia= l sources: Radius Inc., MicroNet Technology Inc., SuperMac Technology Inc, Acer America Corp, Dell Computer Corp and 11 other companies (MacWeek 9/27/93). Spacifics vague. 217 native Power Macintosh programs out with 500 projected by the end of 94= OSes {assumes full installation [print drivers, fonts, Multifinder, etc.] and multiple application use.} PowerPC OSes IBM OS based {see IBM OS section for details}: AIX PowerOpen, NeXTStep, Solaris OS, Expose and Novell DOS 7.0 Mac AIX [UNIX] {1995}: This OS is planned to replace A/UX. MAE {Macintosh Application Enviroment}: Apple's Mac-on-Unix 680x0 emulator. MAS {Macintosh Application Services}: Apple's Mac-on-Unix 680x0 emulator that also runs PowerPC Mac programs on PowerOpen versions of UNIX. Pink [Taligent OS]: Alpha version is out (MacWeek 07/18/94}, final version expected in 1995. PowerOpen version of OSes will likely contain parts of this OS (MacWeek 01/25/93). System 7.1.2: first OS for the PowerPC Mac. Windows NT: Possible port (MacWeek 04/05/93). See IBM OS section for details. WorkPlace OS: OS/2 for the PowerPC with Pink features. Will run Mac, Windows, and AIX programs and may have parts of the Mac OS (PC Week 09/20/93) and may even run Mac programs (MacWeek 09/27/93). It will run first on PowerPCs then on the x86/Pentium line (PC Week 09/20/93). Mac {July 18, 1994} Apple puts 512K to 4 MB of API and OS internals in its ROMS {which gets bypassed as the system moves away from that code base via upgrades, patches, etc.}, and urges programmers NOT to call the hardware directly. These two factors allow programmers to write smaller programs since commands are consistant regardless of the internal hardware. This also allows Apple to write a smaller disk OS and have a lower RAM requirement then a totally disk based OS. Macs use 'Masked ROM' which is as fast as DRAM (Jon Wtte). 6.0.7: Single program usage base requirements: 1 MB and DD floppy, cooperatively-multitasking base requirements: 2 MB and HD floppy. Features a GUI, cooperative-multitasker [MultiFinder], standard program interface, & standard stereo sound support [snd], and Network receiving part of AppleShare software. This 24-bit OS has a 8 MB RAM barrier. Some third party products allow 14 MB of Virtual Memory as long as real RAM is below 8 MB. 6.0.8: 6.0.7 with 7.0.0 print drivers. 6.0.8L: System 6 for some Macs that required System 7.0.X. Rarely used. 7.0.X: Base requirements: 2 MB, 40 MB hard drive, and 68000; De-facto standard to run all features well: 4 MB, 80 MB hard drive, and 68030. Using up to 10.08 MB of hard disk space this 24 and 32-bit OS has 6.0.7 features plus program linking within and between computers [IAC], built-in server capabilities {Filesharing can be used by older OSes using AppleShare Client software and can be accessed by 10 Macs max; 4-5 is more speed practical, IAC requires 7.X}, Virtual Memory in machines with MMU, drag and drop, QuickTime, wildcard search/selection & built-in TrueType support. Supports sound input [AIFF and snd] for most present machines. Can access up to 1 GB of true RAM and 4 GB of virtual memory. To use real RAM beyond 8 MB it must be in 32-bit mode; older machines require 'Mode 32' extension. Apple's last 'free' OS. More useable than MS-DOS or Windows (Consumer Reports) 7.1.0: 7.0.1 with WorldScript support, speedier {10% faster on Quadra line (sys71_vs_70_speed.txt)}, and less RAM usage than 7.0.X (MacWeek 9/14/92; PC Week 9/7/92). To run in 32-bit mode on older machines this requires the 'Mode 32' or '32-Bit Enabler' extension. Marks the start of Apple selling its Mac OS: Bundled with new machines, $49 for 7.0.X upgrades, $99 otherwise. Programs take up about the same hard disk space as comparitive DOS programs and about one-half less disk space than their x86/Pentium Windows counterparts (Byte April 93:102; Ingram Report 10/93). Thread Manager {prototype-7.1.0 extension} allows preemtive multitasking for programs written for it. 7.1.2: 7.1.0 rewritten for the PPC chips with PC Exchange. 32-bit OS. On Mac without Power Macintosh ROMs this adds 4 MB to RAM requirements. (PC Week 02/28/94). Native code programs are 10 - 30% larger {i.e these programs are only 57% - 65% the size of comparitive x86/Pentium Windows programs} (calculations from Motorola & Apple announcements; Byte 04/93:102; Ingram Report 10/93) Rumor-best speed is with VM set at 1 MB above real RAM. QuickDraw GX: display PostScript equivalent for QuickDraw that improves font handling, background printing, and color management (by using ColorSync). 7.5.0: 7.1.2 with AppleScript {scriptable Finder}, MacTCP, Macintosh Easy Open, QuickDraw GX, PowerTalk, PlainTalk, Thread Manager, Drag and Drop Manager {between programs}, improved Find File, and Apple Guide {balloon help replacement}. Also includes WindowShade, a hierachical Apple menu, a menu clock, and Sticky Memos. 680x0/MPC601 version requires 2.5/4.5 MB {4/8 recommended} RAM for core elements, 3/5.5 MB {8/16 recommended} for adding QuickDraw GX and PowerTalk. (BYTE 8/94:188; MacWeek 7/18/94; MacUser 09/94:79). Copland: 2H 1995. Microkernel based, multitheading, Memory protection, OpenDOC, and new I/O. To be written in native PowerPC code; asynchronous file system will access volumes up to 256 terrabytes {~262000 GB}. Support for non-Mac systems and files will be provided (BYTE 5/94:40; MacWeek 7/11/94; PC Week 7/11/94). Gershwin: 1996. Microkernel based, preemptive multitasking, a concurrent File Manager and configurable allocation block sizes with a 4 KB default (MacWeek 7/11/94). A/UX 3.0.1 {3.1-wgs 95} [UNIX]: Base requirements: 8 MB RAM and 80 MB hard Drive. To run well: 16 MB RAM and 240 MB hard drive. Apple's version of Unix based on an old AT&T SVR2 release, with extensions from more recent SV releases, and BSD releases. The memory and disk requirements are about average, for a networked protected mode preemptively multitasking server OS (Faisal Nameer Jawdat). AIX [UNIX]: this is planned to replace A/UX as the Mac's UNIX OS. MachTen {by Tenon}: Mach that runs on top of System 7.x. Note: sound output was provided in OSes 3.2 to 6.0.5 via many third party formats including the following: snd, WAVE, ASND, FSSD, QSSN, SMSD, SOUN, dc2d, and DCFL. In 6.0.7 the sound manager formally established sound 'snd' and AIFF as standards which causes some playback problems for the other formats, though most still play correctly. IBM/PC clone OSes Due to their modualar nature these machines have little GUI code, data, and hooks present in hardware for programmers to work with, so most of the coding must be provided in the OS. Since hard disks were slow the disk OS code is read into RAM along with what little ROM code there is {Shadow ROM}. This results in faster implementation since RAM is faster then PROMS or EPROMS. Disk based OS code has the advantage of being able able to optimize code for a certain piece or collection of hardware instead of using a 'ROM patch' The modular nature of code reduces patch size for major revision of hardware support. MS-DOS 5.0: Conventional Memory mode is limited to either 640 K {DOS's own memory manager} or 1 MB {third party memory managers}. XMS allows up to 16 MB but is usable only by certain programs. Protected Mode Interface (DPMI) compliant programs running in 32-bit Protected Mode [386dx] also allow 16 MB. Contains DOS 4.0 GUI shell. Advantage: allows the best computer speed/cost ratio of any OS. Disadvantage: needs extensive programming knowledge and is very expensive to train people to get the great speed/cost ratio (Gartner group). MS-DOS 6.22: DOS 5.0 with the added features of a disk defragmenter, debugger for the CONFIG.SYS file and built-in file compresion. It needs a $80 module for networking. (InfoWorld 8/29/94). MS-DOS 7.0:In development (PC Week 04/05/93). Will come with Windows95. Windows 3.0: Runs on top of DOS. Breaks 640K/1 M barrier but still uses DOS file structure. Base requirements: 1 MB, floppy and 286; to run well 2 MB, hard drive, 386sx and fast display adapter {> 8-bit}. Has Mac's QD equivalent called Windows GDI [Graphics Device Interface]. Does not have consistent application interfaces {Like 84-85 Mac programs} nor a very large program base {compared to DOS}, still tends to slow the machine down (Info-IBMPC Digest V92 #186) with speed more dependent on the display adapter then on the CPU (Bill Coleman) and "A user pumping up a Windows machine past 64 MB (or even 16 MB in some cases) can encounter some nasty conflicts." (Computer Shopper, 07/93 v13 n7 p180(7)). Some programs need editing of config.sys, autoexec.bat, or system.ini to run/display correctly (Fortune 10/04/93:112). Window programs tend to be disk and memory hogs compared to their DOS counterparts (Byte April 93:98-108). Windows 3.1: A faster version of Windows 3.0 with better memory managment. Base requirements 2 MB, hard drive and 386sx; to run well 8 MB, hard drive, 386sx (PC Magazine 94). Takes a 12-15% performance hit in enchanced {32-bit} mode (BYTE 11/93:85). In general Windows and its applications occupy 1.84 times more disk space than their 680x0 Macintosh counterparts (Byte 04/93:102; Ingram Report 93). Windows for Workgroups: To run well: 4 MB RAM and 386dx (PC World Feb/93:160). Intermediary between Win 3.1 and Windows NT. It is basically Windows 3.1 with built-in peer to peer networking support. Windows 95 [Chicago] {May 95}; Requirements {rumor}: 8 MB and 386 (Washington Post 9/26/94). 32-bit OS combining 3.x and NT features that does not run on top of DOS. Windows NT: ~50 MB of disk space [including swap file] 16 MB recommended (PC Week 07/19/93). This 32-bit OS has protected mode multitasking, multithreading, symmetric multiprocessing, recoverable file system, and 32-bit data GDI. Has built-in OSF DCE compliant networking and can handle up to 4 GB RAM. Windows programs ran up to 10% slower on the beta (PC Week 03/15/93). Windows upgrades: $295 for upgrades, $495 otherwise (PC Week 03/15/93). Daytona {NT 3.5}: Smaller memory requirments, PPC, and OpenGL Cairo {Mid 1996}: Object File System, New GUI, and intergrates Plug and Play. Non MS-OSes AIX: IBM's UNIX system, planned to be a subset of PowerOpen and Taligent OS. 3.2.5 is a precursor to PowerOpen-compliant 4.0 (PC Week 09/13/93). Variant will replace A/UX in Macs. AIXlite: 4 MB RAM, 80 MB disk space. May be used as a PowerPC OS (PC Week 06/28/93). PC-DOS 6.3: IBM's version of DOS. It runs Windows much faster then MS-DOS due to faster file I/O and video handling (InfoWorld 8/29/94). DR DOS 6.0: same as DOS 5.0 with some extras {like built-in data compression} and memory management enhancements. Still has 640K/1MB barrier. Expose: Novell DOS 7.0 with a Linux 1.0-based kernel: $99. also will run on PowerPC chip (PC Week 05/16/94) OS/2 2.1: Base requirements- 4 MB RAM, 40 MB hard drive, 386sx; to run well- 8-16 MB RAM, 60 MB hard drive {uses 17-33 MB}, and 386dx CPU. This 32-bit multithreaded, multitasking OS with UNIX-like features can address up to 4 GB RAM but on ISA systems using their own DMA {Direct Memory Access} drivers ALL memory above 16 MB RAM is used a fast swap file. Windows programs run faster on this than on DOS and Multimedia support built-in (BYTE June 93:193) IBM plans to use Taligent's OOPS in future versions of this. OS/2 3.0 {Warp}: fragmental infomation. NeXTStep 3.2: Base requirements-8 MB {2-bit grayscale}/12 MB {8-bit grayscale}/16 MB {16-bit color}, 120 MB {330 MB with Developer tools} hard drive, 486sx. Suggested-12 MB {2-bit grayscale}/16 MB {8-bit grayscale}/24 MB {16-bit color}, 200 MB {400 MB with Developer tools} hard drive , 486sx (NeXTStep CD-ROM). Object-oriented Mach (UNIX)-based microkernal GUI OS with built-in multi-architecture binary support, preemptive multitasking, multithreading, virtual memory, multimedia e-mail, on-line help, Display PostScript Level 2, networking support {NFS 4.0, Novell, Ethernet, Token Ring}, Pixar's Interactive- and Photorealistic- 3D RenderMan, Pantone color support, and Object Links. Can read, write, and initialize Mac and IBM disks. (1993 NeXT, Inc. literature - Dayne Miller). Lacks device-drivers for some hardware cards, DriverKit to write above lacking device-drivers, and supports Portable Distributed Objects and OpenStep. (pcu@umich.edu) Solaris OS for x86: a SunSoft port. A 32-bit OS with symmetric multiprocessing and multithreading, built-in networking capabilities with tools to allow remote configuring and adminstration features, and a communication package. WABI {windows emulator} runs Windows programs 60% faster than Windows 3.1 does on a 486. Client: $795, 50 users server: $1,995, 1000s users server: $5,995. Developer kits-software: $495, hardware: $195. OS Number Crunching (Mel Park) Mac Arithmetic is done in a consistent numerical environment {SANE or Standard Apple Numerics Environment}. 680x0 floating point numbers are 96 bits long when an FPU is present and 80 bits otherwise. The Power Macintoshes use a totally different method. Exceptions, such as dividing by zero or taking the square root of a negative number, do not cause an abort but are handled in a logically consistent manner. 1/0 produces the internal representation for infinity (INF). 1/(1/0) produces zero. The above treatment of 1/(1/0) occurs in an FPU-equipped machine even when SANE is bypassed and the FPU programmed directly {which Apple says not to do.} IBM Floating point numbers are 80-bits with a hardware FPU, 64-bits when emulated. The way they are handled is dependent on the coding of whatever compiler or assembler was used for a program. On older DOS complilers exceptions could cause program aborts; 1/0 and 1/(1/0) would abort to the DOS prompt at the point where they occured. Most present compilers handle this better. Result: there is little consistent handling of numbers between DOS, Windows and OS/2 programs nor between programs for just one OS. Networking [Includes printing] WYSIWYG printing can be a problem with either Mac of IBM machines especially if one sends TrueType fonts to a older style PostScript printer. Mac Hardware: Built-in printer port and a built-in modem port. LocalTalk has moderate speeds (230.4 Kb/s), requires special connectors for each machine ($15 and up), and is run through the printer port. Some third party networking programs use the modem port. Built-in Ethernet is becoming common with transceivers available {Power Macintosh, Quadras and some Centris models} but many older Macs require a PDS or Nubus card at about $150-$300 for each machine. These cards provide three connectors and transceivers {thick, thin, and 10BaseT} for Ethernet. TokenRing has been a network option since 1989. Over five years a Mac is the cheapest overall (The Gartner Group - cited in Fortune 10/04/93:110). Software: AppleTalk {the suite of protocols} standard with Mac OS, which can use variety of media types. AppleShare client software included with the OS and can connect to file servers such as Novell Netware, 3Com 3+Open, Banyan Vines, DEC Pathworks, Apple's AppleShare servers, System 7 File Sharing machines, and AFP servers running on variety of UNIX hosts. MacTCP allows typical TCP/IP communications (telnet, ftp, NFS, rlogin). Third-party software to connect to NFS servers. DEC Pathworks provides DECnet support. Peer-to-peer file sharing software built into System 7.1 (See OS section). Full server software is extra. Printing requires connection of the printer and the printer being selected in the chooser. Changing printers is by selecting a different name in the chooser. The same is true of connecting to servers. Printing bugs: Monaco TrueType font is different then the screen bitmap font. {QuickDraw GX is suppossed to fix this and similar problems.} IBM Hardware: LocalTalk [not widely used], Ethernet, ArcNet, and TokenRing. Software: Novell Netware, IBM Lan Server, Banyan Vines, DECNet, Windows/Work Groups, AppleTalk protocols, and AppleShare {subset of AppleTalk}. Each of the MS-DOS networking schemes are, in general, totally incompatible with the others. Once you have chosen one, you are pretty much locked-in to that product line from then on. Windows/Work Groups is a little more forgiving and removes some of this problem. Novell Netware is the biggest, {~80 percent of the corporate market.} and in general is more powerful and offers better control/management/security than AppleShare, but it's also more complex to set up and manage. This will change due to the use of the Mac finder and file management system by Novell (MacWeek 3/22/93). Printing {Very OS dependent} DOS: If it's a single user, then you plug the printer into the parallel port, and don't worry about it {Tweeking may be needed with poorly written software}. Network Printing is not controlled by the system, but is mostly implemented by the actual program, therefore performance varies from one software program to the next. Windows 3.x: supports standard drivers and can do a good job of showing "jobs" in the print queue, but it can list printers as "active"... even if they are not. This becomes a problem if there are several incompatible printers on the same net, because there's no way for software to reliably determine which printer is active right now. Windows for Workgroups is more Mac-like and intelligent about this. OS/2: Mac-like; the os deals with printers, with apps making calls to the OS. Printing bugs: due to poor programing some programs for all the above OSes do not have WYSIWYG printing. This is the fault of the programs in question and not that of the OS involved. Price issue: This is very dynamic with Mac providing more build-in features than IBM and IBM being more 'get only what you need' then Mac, and price wars going on in both worlds. In general, when one adds all the standard Mac hardware features to an IBM {built-in input/output sound support, SCSI, PDS, built-in monitor support, built-in networking, standard interface, and NuBus equivalent in higher machines} the Mac tends to be cheaper then an equivalent equipted IBM machine at purchace and over five years. (IBM System User, Jan 1992 v13 n1 p43(1) {91 Ingram report}; Fortune 10/04/93:110 {92 Gartner Group report}; BYTE 9/94:79 {93 Gartner Group report-Windows PC}; 93 Ingram report; 94 Ingram report). {Since some IBM monitors can be used with Macs the over all cost of a Mac can be cut even further (MacUser Aug 1992:158-176)} These are the facts as they were known to me on 12/01/94 and may be changed by new developments, announcements, or corrections. Corrections to the information are welcome. Please email corrections to AOL: BruceG6069 Internet: BruceG6069@aol.com Bibliography notes 'Info-IBMPC Digest' back issues were available from wsmr-simtel20.army.mil {discontinued Oct 1993 in directory PD2:<ARCHIVES.IBMPC>. 'Dictionary of Computer Terms 3rd ed.' (ISBM 0-8120-4824-5) jay@seaspray.uacn.alaska.edu (Jay C. Beavers) bericksn@ac.dal.ca (Sean) david@visix.com (David Charlap) bcoleman@hayes.com (Bill Coleman) matt@wardsgi.med.yale.edu (Matt Healy) cj00+@andrew.cmu.edu (Carl B Jabido) fj05+@andrew.cmu.edu (Faisal Nameer Jawdat) dana@vnet.ibm.com (Dana Kilcrease) jokim@jarthur.claremont.edu (John H. Kim) lamont@catfish16.rtsg.mot.com (Bradley Lamont) mem@jhufos.pha.jhu.edu/mem@pha.jhu.edu (Mel Martinez) dayne@u.washington.edu (Dayne Miller) mpark@utmem1.utmem.edu (Mel Park) pcu@umich.edu noah@apple.com (Noah Price) terjer@ifi.unit.no (Terje Rydland) lschultz@ichips.intel.com (Len Schultz) especkma@reed.edu (Erik. A Speckman) d88-jwa@nada.kth.se (Jon Wtte) nan@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (Nan Zou)