[2203] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: Low end users
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Steve Simmons)
Thu Jan 30 18:55:25 1992
From: scs@lokkur.dexter.mi.us (Steve Simmons)
To: com-priv@psi.com (Com-Priv Mailing List)
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 92 18:40:59 EST
In-Reply-To: <9201292004.AA19825@TIS.COM>; from "Stephen D Crocker" at Jan 29, 92 03:04:30 pm
Steve Crocker writes:
>Increased costs compared to what? Unless the comparison you're making
>is centralized computing (or islands) versus distributed computing
>*for* *exactly* *the* *same* *capabability*, the comparison is apples
>versus oranges.
The very issues you describe -- different capabilities -- are a cause
of the increased admin cost. Other issues are physical distribution,
increased ability for management to make bad decisions (every try to
maintain a labfull of dataful crossmounted machines?), and increased
heterogeneity. The mainframe-and-terminals model implies a number of
limitations on the user -- primitive graphics, hardware purchases are
strictly controlled by the Center, etc. Distributed systems destroy
that model and provide increased capabilities, but do impose an
increased cost of administration.
