ron%brl-vgr@sri-unix.UUCP (02/16/84)
From: Ron Natalie <ron@brl-vgr> Well, you can divide the IBM PC UNIX systems into two classes: REAL UNIX systems (i.e. essentially the Bell code and the Bell license) UNIX-like systems. Currently there are two REAL UNIX style systems. The first is VENIX from VENTURCOM. It is a real System III ported to the 8088. Not bad, just blase vanila system III. The other is the IBM PC/IX. PC/IX is not available now (April they claim). The software was not done by IBM but by Interactive Systems of Santa Monica. They are one of the oldest UNIX supporting organizations. I have mixed feelings about them. PC/IX is a basic system V with a lot of the Interactive Systems enhancements. Some of these enhancements are nice, some aren't. On the whole PC/IX looks to be a rather nice, ready to go, unix. It includes a screen editor (whose name keeps changing) but one name is INed. This is a derivative of the RAND editor. Both VENIX and PC/IX will run about $900. Popular UNIX like systems include (quickly, see the first issue of UNIX Review for a comparison): Coherent (Mark Williams): It took me a while to realize (even (looking at the source) that this wasn't a ported V7 system. $500. Fairly nice. No UUCP yet (except that Lauren is doing it). Xenix: Based on V7, but enough different to cause most UNIX people to pull their hair out. Unetix: Cheap, probably worth the $99 it costs but not outstanding. Personnally, I was going to go with Coherent being more of a V7 type than System III/V. However, due to the more supported nature of PC/IX and due to the fact that I am very familiar with the way the Interactive Systems code works (even if I don't always like it) I've settled on PC/IX and now I'm just waiting. The functioning UUCP that comes with it is a very big carrot to dangle in front of me. -Ron
wolfe@mprvaxa.UUCP (Peter Wolfe) (02/24/84)
The VENIX VENTURCOM UNIX port that we have played with is system V not III.
In playing with it, it is much more like real UNIX than COHERENT (also
have played with that). ALL the normal UNIX utilities are there and it
comes with CSH and VI etc. etc.
The speeds of both of these systems is notinh fantastic but what do you
expect from an 8-bit bus and not super hard disk drive.
Also note that there is a company out here in Vancouver, Canada that is/will
be offering a tuned version of COHERENT. I think this implementation
will actually allow multiple users doing I/O at reasonable speeds.
Name is Network Consulting Inc. and I don't have the address hadny but I think
they have adds in BYTE magazine.
--
Peter Wolfe
Microtel Pacific Research
..decvax!microsoft!ubc-vision!mprvaxa!wolfepournell@sdcsvax.UUCP (02/26/84)
If you're looking for a real "PC engine", I suggest you look at the Eagle 1600 series. Extremely well-built, 8086-based machine, running at 8 Mhz.; comes with 128K and sockets (on the mother board) for 512K. This is its limit, unless you can convince the 8086 to read 8 bits at a time from the data bus. There's an 8087 socket, but you'll have to either slow down or wait for an 8 Mhz part. There are 8 PC expansion slots, all full-length. PC-DOs 2.0 now standard. Keyboard makes all the standard IBM sequences, but it's laid out differently (it's detached). Space for built-in hard disk, comes w/ a 96 TPI 1/2 hi 5-1/4 which can read/write/format IBM 40 trackers. hard disk either 10 meg or 40 from Eagle; standard SASI so you could use others. 2 hard disks (of either type) is normal max. COmes with monochrome board, serial board, parallel (centronics) board. IT's designed to be multi-user and take an 8-port serail board. The tech people have been really nice to us when we have called. The manuals have improved radically since their inception. I called Network Consulting, who have been porting Coherent to the various flavors of PCalikes. They say within a short while (<=2 months, don't hold them to it; call yourself) they'll have Coherent on the Eagle series. I'd like to hear from other users of the 1600, which I feel is a very capable development machine for those who like speed. It's not cheap, but it's extremely well-built and designed. Among other things, it has a real reset switch (!). Alex Pournelle