lisp machines vs. lisp on other boxes.

[Rob Pettengill <rcp@mcc.com>]

   Date:  Fri, 29 May 87 23:12 CDT
   From: ALarson@HI-MULTICS.ARPA

   Just to put a further twist in the conversation, we've just finished
   doing a preliminary analysis of Lucid Vs Franz lisp on a Sun 3/50 (4mb
   diskless) and came up with one overriding observarion.  Lucid was
   unacceptably slow.  We attempted to compile 2 moderate sized files under
   Lucid, and after 30 minutes gave up.  Both files compiled in about 8 min
   with Franz.  Secondly, garbage collection appears to be faster although
   I don't have any firm numbers in front of me, I do remember that a
   garbage collect on a 160 with 16 mb mem (16 meg swap file also) took 5.2
   seconds with Franz.

   Aaron.  ALarson@HI-Multics

You need to be careful in describing this sort of comparison.  What
versions of the two compilters were you using?  Are you talking about
Franz EXCL (a resonable comparison) or the old unix Franz Lisp.  What
facilities were loaded in (by default lucid images tend to include
their window system, flavors, and an emacs editor).  With the latest
releases the Lucid SCLisp (2.0.5) and Franz Excl (2.0) images seem to
be close in size (when they have equivalent functionality loaded in to
the image).  Franz EXCL images tend to be a little smaller (20%),
compile faster (40-50%), have better debugging (you can restart from
any stack frame), and run 2 to 3 times slower (except for flavors)
than Lucid.  Both products are of high quality and undergoing rapid
improvement and extension and for most people decisions between the
two will probably hing on their individual requirments.

All these opinions are my own personal opinions ...

;rob