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Cyhist Apr 09 1997 D
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Date: Wed, 9 Apr 1997 22:18:11 -0700
Reply-To: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> Sender: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> From: Rich Pizor <pizor@LCLARK.EDU>
Subject: Prices from Yesteryear
X-To: lauren@VORTEX.COM
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______________________________________________________________________
Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
You make a good case for the falling cost of technology. BUT...
I'm not really sure that comparing an industrial-strength machine like a PDP against a desktop PC is really fair, regardless of comparative power. The PDP series was never intended for use by anyone other than major corporations and universities and was priced and produced accordingly. No matter what anyone says, this is going to have more than a little bearing on the final outcome.
IMHO, a better comparison would be the following:
in 1984 (13 years ago...more recent than the 1964 PDP-6, but still an era or two in computer time ;) a top-of-the line Apple ][e system (64K of RAM, 2 floppy drives for 5.25 inch, 128k disks, no hard drive to speak of, no sound card to speak of, no mouse or other control device to speak of, and a monitor with 16 shades of orange) would run you about 2000. According to the latest price sheet from my college's computer reseller, here's what you can get from Apple TODAY for the same money:
180 mHz 603e PowerPC processor
32 meg RAM
824x768x16-bit monitor
x8 CD-ROM drive
1.6 gig HD
1.44 meg floppy drive
video input card
Surround Sound stereo output (speakers extra :( ) AppleDesign Keyboard
Apple Desktop Mouse
In fact...if you look at history, you'll see that the cost of your average upper-middle end computer seems to sit at about 2 grand pretty consistently. (of course this isn't adjusted for inflation...) Leads one to wonder just what the cost of producing one of those suckers really is...
Rich
"If pictures are worth a thousand words, then speak in words worth a thousand pictures." -- Glitter
==============================================================================
Rich "Akira" Pizor pizor@lclark.edu http://www.lclark.edu/~pizor
*** I use PGP -- finger or http for public key ***
______________________________________________________________________
Reply-To: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> Sender: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> From: Rich Pizor <pizor@LCLARK.EDU>
Subject: Prices from Yesteryear
X-To: lauren@VORTEX.COM
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
______________________________________________________________________
Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
You make a good case for the falling cost of technology. BUT...
I'm not really sure that comparing an industrial-strength machine like a PDP against a desktop PC is really fair, regardless of comparative power. The PDP series was never intended for use by anyone other than major corporations and universities and was priced and produced accordingly. No matter what anyone says, this is going to have more than a little bearing on the final outcome.
IMHO, a better comparison would be the following:
in 1984 (13 years ago...more recent than the 1964 PDP-6, but still an era or two in computer time ;) a top-of-the line Apple ][e system (64K of RAM, 2 floppy drives for 5.25 inch, 128k disks, no hard drive to speak of, no sound card to speak of, no mouse or other control device to speak of, and a monitor with 16 shades of orange) would run you about 2000. According to the latest price sheet from my college's computer reseller, here's what you can get from Apple TODAY for the same money:
180 mHz 603e PowerPC processor
32 meg RAM
824x768x16-bit monitor
x8 CD-ROM drive
1.6 gig HD
1.44 meg floppy drive
video input card
Surround Sound stereo output (speakers extra :( ) AppleDesign Keyboard
Apple Desktop Mouse
In fact...if you look at history, you'll see that the cost of your average upper-middle end computer seems to sit at about 2 grand pretty consistently. (of course this isn't adjusted for inflation...) Leads one to wonder just what the cost of producing one of those suckers really is...
Rich
"If pictures are worth a thousand words, then speak in words worth a thousand pictures." -- Glitter
==============================================================================
Rich "Akira" Pizor pizor@lclark.edu http://www.lclark.edu/~pizor
*** I use PGP -- finger or http for public key ***
______________________________________________________________________
