lispm's at home

[gooch@TIJERAS.SW-SW.Dialnet.Symbolics.COM (William D. Gooch)]

    Date: Mon, 29 Jul 91 08:00:04 EDT
    From: wlim@gdstech.grumman.com (Willie Lim)

       From: cmaeda@EXXON-VALDEZ.FT.CS.CMU.EDU (Christopher Maeda)
       Date: Sun, 28 Jul 91 15:56:17 EDT
       Reply-To: cmaeda@cs.cmu.edu

       Now that I-machines and RISC chips have made G-machines only fit for
       home use :-), I was wondering what the cost would be to be able to
       legally run Genera at home.

       Last time I checked, there was a $10k license transfer fee and maybe
       $1-2k per year to keep the license current.  Has Symbolics adjusted
       this pricing structure to reflect market reality yet?

    The $11-12K price tag (just so that people can legally use a Symbolics
    at home) is not competitive with the Unix workstations that are out
    there (and their prices are dropping as we "talk").  Now if they get
    rid of the license transfer fee, that would be another matter. :-)

Symbolics has in the past waived the license transfer fee when you get
prior approval from them and you agree to buy a year or more of software
support.  I don't think they charge any fee to transfer a license to an
educational institution. 

    If Symbolics can be competitive in price, there is perhaps some
    business potential here for them to remarket their old LISPM models
    for the home hackers.

Used L-machines are not very expensive.  I've paid anywhere from around
$500 up to a few thousand dollars, depending on condition, configuration,
warranty (or lack thereof), and so forth.  G-machines are more expensive
and harder to come by.  I wish Symbolics would sell more used systems,
but I haven't heard of any strong sales effort in that department.