Info wanted on 4D/20

[Bill Silvert]

I'm in the market for a Unix box and am considering the 4D/20.
I'd appreciate comments from readers of this group to help with the
decision.

Specifically, I like what I know of the machine, but am concerned about
whether it is fast enough to match the competition.  The local vendor
let me use a 4D/25 so I have a good idea how the machine handles and
what the software is like, but at least on paper the 20 looks a lot
slower than the 25 or other competing machines.

Our main application is frequent recompilation and execution of
medium-sized Fortran programs (about 5000 lines).  Both compilation time
and execution time are important (this is all ecological simulation
stuff).  We don't have any heavy-duty graphics applications, although
having a good graphics machine is certainly fun, and it probably makes
for a better GUI.

We're comparing the 4D/20 to machines like the SPARCstation 1+ and the
HP 400s.  Any information or advice would be very welcome.
-- 
William Silvert, Habitat Ecology Division, Bedford Inst. of Oceanography
P. O. Box 1006, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, CANADA B2Y 4A2.  Tel. (902)426-1577
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