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- From: mdchaney@fractal.ucs.indiana.edu (M Darrin Chaney)
- Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec,comp.os.vms,comp.unix.ultrix
- Subject: Re: Digital News and Review's irresponsible attitude
- Message-ID: <Bu9x7w.MpJ@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu>
- Date: 8 Sep 92 19:09:32 GMT
- References: <6094@npri6.npri.com> <1309@niktow.canisius.edu> <6136@npri6.npri.com>
- Sender: news@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu (USENET News System)
- Distribution: world,local
- Organization: Indiana University, Bloomington
- Lines: 98
- Nntp-Posting-Host: fractal.ucs.indiana.edu
-
- (I'm not sure about the authors here. Richard Head (probably called
- "Dick" by those who have the displeasure of working with him) definitely
- wrote the last piece, and I Greg Pavlov is the person who he attempts
- to flame. Richard's comments are the ones with a single ">", and Greg's
- are the ones with ">#>")
-
- (Richard Head) writes:
- >pavlov@niktow.canisius.edu (Greg Pavlov) writes:
- >#>richard@npri6.npri.com (Richard Head) writes:
- >#>>
- >#>> The only possible good thing I can think of that may arise from this
- >#>> transition is if Digital Review would only stop using the brain-dead
- >#>> term "MicroVUPs". Use VUPs of SPECmarks or whatever. The use of
- >#>> MicroVUPs was (I think) started and propagated by Digital Review, and
- >#>> as far as I can tell, they are the only ones that use it.
- >#>> --
- >#
- >#> So what's the big deal about the units they use ? "Brain dead" ?
- >
- >It isn't a big deal. It's just Stupid. When you buy a car, do you want
- >to hear how many miles per imperial gallon it gets? When you buy a battery
- >for your car, do you want to know how many fortnights it will last? Stupid.
-
- Your analogy lacks about as much thought as your entire post. In one way,
- that's not surprising. But, when one considers the extraordinary
- lameness of this tripe that your news posting service has mistaken for
- an article, that's quite an accomplishment.
-
- Anyway, the VUP is a unit of power. The closest analogy in the area of
- cars would be the amount of power that the engine provides. This is
- usually stated in horsepower, but the other unit of power, the watt,
- would work just as well.
-
- Granted, I know what horsepower is. If I see a car with a 35 horsepower
- engine that gets 20 MPG, I know something is wrong. If I saw a car capable
- of 35 watts and 20 MPG, I'd have no idea as to whether that is good, bad,
- or average. Computers are quite different.
-
- It's nice to have the unit of power in a unit that you are familiar with.
- However, if you are comparing a group of computers (or cars), the units
- are irrelevant. You can tell by looking at the numbers that computer X
- is 5 times as "fast" as computer Y. To me, Specmarks mean something.
- VUPs and MVUPs are only good for comparisons. For that reason, I don't
- think MVUPs are any worse than VUPs.
-
- All of DR's reviews are based on relative stats. The machines capable of X
- are always shown with stats relative to a DS3000.
-
- At any rate, Greg sure as hell isn't "Stupid" for his post.
-
- >#> What is a "VUP" anyway ?
- >
- >Is this a serious question, or are you just demonstrating how Stupid you are?
-
- Is it coffee, Richard? Too much isn't good for the nerves, you know.
-
- >#> For a long time, the uVAX II had the largest in-
- >#> stalled base of any VAX.
- >
- >Really? Care to quantify what you mean by a "long time"? Last time I
- >checked, the MVII sold well from 87-89, but since then, I'm sure it has
- >been overtaken by MV3100, VAXstation 3100, etc. Maybe a long time when
- >compared to your attention span.
-
- So? Is it any worse a comparison point than the VAX-11/780?
-
- >#>It made good sense to state relative performance
- >#> in uVAX terms.
- >
- >Bullshit.
-
- Not at all. No more Bullshit than stating it in terms of a 780. Relative
- performance is the same regardless of unit.
-
- >#>Continuing to use it as a unit is no more irrational than
- >#> using the VAX 780 (in VUPS and SPECmarks).
- >
- >You moron. SPECmarks are used as a general standard by all computer
- >manufacturers to give potential customers an idea how their machine may
- >compare to a machine from another vendor. What does an HP/IBM customer care
- >how many "MicroVUPs" a VAX has? They want to know how many SPECmarks it
- >has so they can compare it to machines from other vendors.
-
- You might notice that Digital doesn't use MVUPs. They are the ones selling
- the machines. What does this paragraph have to do with DR or Greg?
-
- You, Richard, are the moron. I'd suggest less coffee and more sleep. Or,
- if you insist on continuing these "Stupid" postings, put "local" on the
- distribution line. For practice, flame yourself, and read all of
- Ehud's postings from the last three years. But, please spare us all the
- shit that you've posted here.
-
- Darrin
- --
-
- mdchaney@iubacs mdchaney@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu mdchaney@rose.ucs.indiana.edu
-
- "It's a marvel of vegetable containment..."
-