still checking out farms

[UK0392@AppleLink.Apple.COM (EHN & DIJ Oakley,GB,IDV)]

Friends,
 
1.  A little parenthetical clarification on the genetic programming business:
 
Why all this eval-ing (or, to be more accurate, fast-eval-ing - a cut-down and
faster route provided by Koza)?  Well, the program actually generates loads of
Lisp S-expressions which are *not* known a priori.  It generates a load (50 -
5000) randomly at the start of a run, and then manipulates them during a run,
by crossing over segments of them to generate new S-expressions, which then
have to be fast-evaled.  Normally, as far as I am aware, there is no way of
avoiding all this fast-eval-ing, since none of the S-expressions is known a
priori, and all are generated and used on the fly.  Any bright ideas are always
welcome, though!
 
2.  A little price comparison:
 
I have a friend who recently bought two of the new HP 700 series workstations.
In the UK, they cost =L40 000 apiece, to which you have to add the cost of
Lucid, etc.  Prices for 13 x Quadra 700, or 10 x Quadra 950, or 25 x Duo 230,
or 50 x Classic II - having roughly the same total CPU power, and each suitably
configured for 'farming' - are about =L45 000 after discount.  Fortunately,
power consumption and space do not come into the calculation for us!
 
Thanks again to all those who have replied,
 
Howard.
Howard Oakley,                      * Howard@quercus.demon.co.uk
EHN & DIJ Oakley, Brooklands Lodge, * AppleLink UK0392
Park View Close, Wroxall, Ventnor,  * CompuServe 70734,120
Isle of Wight UK PO38 3EQ           * Tel +44 983 853605, fax 853253