Any Tower Users?

[hcsjgh%ots.UUCP at rice.EDU]

>from: "Kurt L. Reisler" <klr%hadron.uucp at BRL.ARPA>
>Any users of NCR Tower 1632 systems out there?
>I am particulary interested in what kinds of problems I might
>expect with UUCP and NEWS software.
>Kurt
>-----------------------------
>>from: Sam Vause <vause%ncrcae.uucp at BRL.ARPA>
>>Kurt underlines a good point in general.  Most people are not really aware
>>that the NCR plant that engineered the TOWER, added SYSTEM III, and ported
>>SYSTEM V Unix to the TOWER family machines is on the net in a big way.  We
>>are a major force in the world Unix market, and are committed to support!
>>-----------------------------

     The following reply is honest opinion based on my personal use
     of a Tower XP. As you said you were aware, the machine is
     slow, but is still useful if you have one.

     We have had numerous problems though.  A lot of blown boards
     (which NCR has replaced *mostly* for free). We cut the air
     to about 85 degrees weekends, and the temperature
     variation might have caused some of it. Also, it is sensitive
     to power fluctuations even with surge protection. We have
     borrowed a standby power (interrupted) supply from NCR which helps
     a little, but it needs a uninterrupted power system if
     the environment is sub-standard (educated opinion).
     NCR version 2.00.00 of System V wasn't good to us, and so we got
     a free copy of 3.00.02 which corrected many problems.
     Sorry, no experience on other versions.

     UUCP seems acceptable. We did have to put the Hayes dialing
     info directly into the L.sys file instead of standard entries,
     which may be fixed, anyway, it works with the newer version.

     If you are going to spend cash American money on a new system,
     it is always WISE to shop around (opinion).

     Has anyone checked out the Convergent Technologies Mighty Frame ?
     
     I would appreciate users comments, but not from vendors or
     vendor support organizations PLEASE ! Loyalty sometimes
     alters objectiveness (opinion).

     Thanks,

     Greg Hackney
     S.W. Bell - Texas Network Engineering Support System
     ...ihnp4!tness1!root
     ...rice!ots!tness1!root
     
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If everything worked right, would we
NEED so much commitment to support ???
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