ted@imsvax.UUCP (03/28/86)
For anyone who has heard about Xerox's 8010s and 6085s and wondered what they looked like, there is a picture of one on page 72 of the new (April) issue of Byte; to my knowledge, it's the first time Xerox has ever advertised in one of the popular journals for microcomputers. The 6085 is a 1024*1024 OA device with word processing, forms generation, and WYSWYG typesetting and graphics capabilities, which can do better PC imitations than many of the so called "compatibles". It can run almost all MS-DOS software, and incorporate Word- Perfect documents into its typesetting system via Navy DIF standard con- versions. It is not as fast as typical 68020 workstations, but the software is better and more powerful, and it's far cheaper. Its floppy disk drive can read DOS formatted disks as well as disks formatted for ViewPoint, its own Mesa based OS.
schoff@rpics.uucp (Martin Schoffstall) (04/10/86)
> > For anyone who has heard about Xerox's 8010s and 6085s and wondered what they > looked like, there is a picture of one on page 72 of the new (April) issue of > Byte; to my knowledge, it's the first time Xerox has ever advertised in one > of the popular journals for microcomputers. The 6085 is a 1024*1024 OA device on a very small, interlaced display. Not as bad as the standard RT display though (in size). > with word processing, forms generation, and WYSWYG typesetting and graphics > capabilities, which can do better PC imitations than many of the so called > "compatibles". It can run almost all MS-DOS software, and incorporate Word- lots of gotchas though! > Perfect documents into its typesetting system via Navy DIF standard con- > versions. It is not as fast as typical 68020 workstations, but the software not as fast as a 68010 workstation either > is better and more powerful, and it's far cheaper. Its floppy disk drive can better, powerful, cheaper???? How about a "distributed file system" that first copies from the "file server" all your files to the absolutely necessary local disk. How about a proprietary bus that you could have a lot of fun trying to figure out. How about protocols (xns) that historically have not been placed in the public domain so people could implement them. Would you like your favorite machine with large disks to file serve for them, good luck. How about a pricing strategy on the file servers that makes them look like IBM products (overpriced). Want to develop some software? Whoops you have to have XDE and use MESA. > read DOS formatted disks as well as disks formatted for ViewPoint, its own > Mesa based OS. We have had two of these machines at RPI for a long time and so far I have been unimpressed. -- marty schoffstall schoff%rpics.csnet@csnet-relay ARPA schoff@rpics CSNET seismo!rpics!schoff UUCP martin_schoffstall@TROY.NY.USA.NA.EARTH.SOL UNIVERSENET RPI Computer Science Department Troy, NY 12180 (518) 271-2654