[log in to unmask] (Eero Laurila) writes:
 
>Mark C. Landin ([log in to unmask]) wrote:
>: I've heard "through the grapevine" of a new 9x9 series of 300 platforms.
>: If anyone has heard of this, please let us know what you've heard! More
>: power is always exciting....
 
>  Aahhh.... I saw one today....~~~  what a pleasure ~~~ it was a 4-way
>  979 CPU...  each cpu clocking at 120MHz... (995 cpu's @ 90MHz, 992=60Mhz)...
>  I think it had 256kb of cache memory per CPU and the system was running
>  in a benchmark with 1000 users and 2GB of main memory...  AND IT WAS
>  DAMN FAST MACHINE!!!!  I just love it!  Fits under the table (what about
>  the 50+ spindles...) and was about 2..3 sq ft footprint, probably 2ft high
>  The rumor has it that 2-way beats a 4-way 995 - then again... what do I
>  know... the official introduction of 9x9 family was January 19th.  The
>  beastie I saw was running MR'd 5.0 (push) OS...
 
 
Since I posted this, the 9x9's have become "official", orderable Feb 1 with
a 2-4 week delivery.
 
Here are the official figures I got from my Sales Rep yesterday:
 
HP 3000 939KS: 1 80-Mhz 7200 PA-RISC, 64 MB RAM (base), 1856 MB RAM (max),
   Max 352 GB disc (Fast-Wide SCSI 2), 2 internal HP-PB bus @ peak 32 MB/sec
   xfer each; performance relative to 918LX: 2.8
HP 3000 959KS: 1-4 100-Mhz 7200 PA-RISC, 128 MB RAM (base), 2048 MB RAM (max),
   Max 352 GB disc (Fast-Wide SCSI 2), 2 internal HP-PB bus @ peak 32 MB/sec
   xfer each; performance relative to 918LX: 3.5, 6.2, 8.8, 11.0 (for /100,
   /200, /300, /400 respectively)
Compare to:
HP 3000 995 : 1-8 90-Mhz (?) 7100 PA-RISC, 2038 GB max disc, up to 112 I/O
   expansion slots. Performance relative to 918LX: 4.2, 7.1, 9.6, 11.8 (for
   /100, /200, /300, /400 respectively).
 
other items of importance: no HP-IB supported on 9x9 servers at all; frac-
tionally cheaper than 9x7 series with MUCH improved performance. Slightly
less performant and less expandable than comparable 995, but much cheaper.
MPE/iX-only bundle not available; you MUST order a DBMS with the system.
 
HP is recommending that 9x7 orders be converted to 9x9 orders, but 995
orders not be changed due to better expandability with the 995 machines.
 
However, it is probably only a matter of time before the 995 is supplanted
by a 7200-powered platform, the 999 or something similar. (My opinion;
no real evidence or hints).
 
The biggest advances in the throughput of the 9x9 will come from the
768-Mbyte backplane for the 7200, compared to a 128-Mbyte backplane for the
7100, and the use of two separate HP-PB I/O buses for the 9x9's.
 
Part numbers:
939KS    : A3200A
959KS/100: A3201A
959KS/200: A3202A
959KS/300: A3203A
959KS/400: A3204A
 
Summary: similar to the German pocket battleships of WW II, the 9x9's will
outperform anything cheaper, and out-cheap anything faster. Unfortunately,
the pocket battleship had a short-lived (although brilliant) career due
to mismanagement. Let's hope HP doesn't sink this one!
 
--
*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*
* Mark C. Landin                  "Those who wish to be must put aside the   *
* Systems Manager                  alienation; get on with the fascination,  *
* Northeastern State Univ.         the real relation, the underlying theme"  *