This paper examines the relative performance of three microcomputers (WICAT 150, Olivetti M-20, and TRS-80 Model III) when evaluating discrete event simulation models. Two different simulation models, a queueing model and an inventory model, were implemented in dialects of BASIC or PASCAL and formed the basis of the study. During the study, a factor of 50 in relative execution times was observed between the fastest system (the WICAT 150) and the slowest (TRS-80). Since the former system is based on a Motorola 68000, and the latter on a Z-80, this differential is not surprising. The authors conclude that 16-bit microcomputers can be effective tools for performing discrete event simulation.

This paper is likely to be of interest primarily to those exploring simulation and its applications on microcomputers. Serious simulation practitioners will find little that is new or of interest.