To:  All members of the Stanford CS Community
From: Committee on Computer Facilities
Subject: Survey of needs and wants for future facilities

The department is considering re-equipping itself over the next
five years, with an estimated outlay of approximately $3 million.
To aid us in formulating such plans, we wish to survey current
users on their preferences, strong needs, etc.  Please take
a few minutes and fill out the form below, and return it
to Doug Lenat (physical mailbox in MJH, electronic at SCORE)
by Nov. 11.  Your cooperation is appreciated.


Machines

1. What machine(s) do you currently use, and -- for each -- how
many terminal hours/wk and how many cpu hours/wk do you use?

	Machine		Terminal Hours		CPU Hours

	SCORE
	SUMEX
	SAIL
	VAX
	ALTO
	KA10
	2020
	LOTS
	SCIP
	Other

2. How would you expect your computer usage to change over the
next few years, if facilities remained as they are now?





3. What new machines would be particularly well suited to your
current and near-future needs?   Consider:
	36 bit machines vs. 32 bit machines
	Large time sharing system vs. several personal machines
	Individual
	Editing on large TS system vs. on local terminals
	




4. Some courses would benefit from having a less crowded system than LOTS
to use.  Is this a worthwhile goal for a few years down the road?




5. What types of terminals do you use now?  How will that change in
the next few years if nothing new is acquired?





6. What type of terminals -- and department-wide terminal system --
would suit your future needs best?
	TTY replacements (e.g., $700 Heathkits)
	1000x1000 graphics (e.g., $2500 Sun)
	500x500 color graphics (diff. species of $2500 Sun)
	1000x1000 color graphics ($15000 Sun)




7. The acquisition of about 200 terminals is being considered. 
What type(s) would you suggest, and how should they be placed?





8. Where do you keep your files, and how much transferring do you
do?  What are your future desires and needs for file servers?




The following questions determine features of current systems that are
useful to have in case any current system is lost. The replacement
will need to have the abilities implied by the answers to these
questions:


9. Do you use the line editor on SAIL:
 	a. always, b. frequently, c. sometimes, d. never.

10. Would you find a line editor useful?


11. Do you use screen mapping:
 	a. always, b. frequently, c. sometimes, d. never.
   Usual uses (collaboration, multiple jobs, etc.):


12. Do you find the extra bits on the SAIL keyboard:
	a. useful, b. ok, c. confusing,  d. what bits?

13. While editing files (text or program source) do you switch files:
 	a. very often, b. frequently, c. sometimes, d. never.

14. What is the largest program you use?

15. How large is the largest program you have written on a CSD machine?

16. Do you use LISP:
 	a. always, b. frequently, c. sometimes, d. never,
    What flavors of LISP? (1.5, Interlisp, Maclisp, UCI, D,...)

17. Do you use floating point arithmetic:
 	a. always, b. frequently, c. sometimes, d. never.

18. How much local software development would you think appropriate
to CSD:
	a. a lot, b. some, c. very little, d. none
   Elaborate:




Please feel free to add any comments or suggestions: