As a result, nearly all of the non-Intel Unix clients have been updated,
with speedups ranging from 10% to 82%! Sun UltraSparc users can expect the
largest (82%) speedup. Normal Sun Sparcs are 45% faster, Alpha clients are
running 25-40% faster, HP clients are 57% faster, and AIX gets a 20%
boost. If you're running a non-Intel system, you should run off to the
DESCHALL archive and get the new client immediately! Rocke's
hand-optimized code is still fastest on Intel systems, so the Intel client
has not been updated this time around.
An Ultrix client is now available, as well as NetBSD for Alpha.
And, not to be left behind, the Mac client has also been improved. The
network code has been redone, a slick GUI replaces the old console style
interface, and there's a 5-10% performace boost too. The Macintosh is
indeed making a strong showing -- this really shows that Macs are just as
good, if not better, than many other platforms when it comes to number
crunching.
Justin Dolske <URL:http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/~dolske/>
(dolske@cis.ohio-state.edu)
Graduate Fellow / Research Associate at The Ohio State University, CIS Dept.