Why are new Suns thick Ethernet only

[abstine at sun.soe.clarkson.edu]

> Most users already have Thicknet installed.  For compability issue,
> providing Thicknet probably is a must for Sun.  In addition, the Thinnet
> transceiver can be incorporated externally and does not have to be in the
> system.  By taking the Thinnet transceiver away from the CPU board (on the
> new CPUs), the board space is reduced as well as the system cost (believe
> me, when you want to integrate a lot of features on a small board, every
> single square mil does count). And for those users that need the Thinnet
> interface, an external converter which is available from many vendors is a
> solution.  This is a win-win solution for everyone. 
>
 
Most users have Thick? Maybe sites which have had ethernet since the early
80's, but alot more office installations are using thin wire/twisted pair
since its alot easier to install. This isn't a win-win situation - it
just means that everyone who needs thinwire connectivity must spend another
$200 or so to get a clunky cable and thinwire transceiver. Sun screwed up by
not providing both as part of the machine. Maybe they should take a cue from
DEC and provide both with an external switch to choose the one they want.

art stine
sr network engineer
clarkson u