wtm@neoucom.UUCP (Bill Mayhew) (06/22/88)
Hi people, I've been on vacation, so I've been somewhat behind in catching up on reading, Usenet, etc. I just got around to looking at the June 6 issue of Info World. On page 19, they describe some stuff related to AT&T Mail (that is, the service that bears that proper name). One related thing they mention is: "AT&T also announced PMX/Term, a PC version of its Unix-based electronic mail system for minicomputers. PMX/Term runs on AT&T 6386 WGS PCs and MS-DOS compatibles, will be available in July and costs $1,295." Sounds pretty good, except for the price. Seems like buying Unix for the WGS is a better deal, because one could get the O/S and development tools for about that price. Unix, of course, provides mailx and uucp. Essentailly one would be getting Unix for free. I guess the other alternative other than the uupc public domain program is Lauren Weinstein's uulink. Last I heard, it was around $400, but wasn't too great in the documentation department. Can anybody elaborate on PMX/Term?... --Bill impulse!wtm@neoucom.UUCP <- temporary email address
rwhite@nusdhub.UUCP (Robert C. White Jr.) (07/02/88)
in article <1261@neoucom.UUCP>, wtm@neoucom.UUCP (Bill Mayhew) says: > Can anybody elaborate on PMX/Term?... Yes, "gag, ack! uck... pffttffh, arrrg, pant pant pant, aaaaaaaaa, chougt, blat.....!" In the immortal words of someone: "build a system that even a fool can use and only a fool will use it." Basically it is _very_ expensive for what it does. I will throw away mail which comes form another machine name, but has the same serial number (to prevent copying.) It has features such as doccument attach and the like, but once you have run it on your mailbox, you are stuck with it for that mail. On startup it removes all the mail from you mailbox, breaks the mail into individual files and store them in a subdirectory tree of it's own creation. you are allowed to move the items around the mailboxes, but the processes is _VERY_ combersome. To whit: starting with the folder which contians the item you wish to move: change to "other folder", exchange "other folder" with the one in wich you want to store the item, move back to the source folder, select the alternate menu, select move, use pointer (totally unnessary), change name (optional), press "do" (or return, it's been a bit so I dont remember which.) Other tasks are similarly neausiating. The PMX/TERM has one totally unforgivable flaw: When you "send" a reply or whatever, it is placed in your _current_ folder but not actually sent anywhere. When you have finished making all your replies, you must push "send folder" (or something like that) At which point PMX/TERM SENDS THE _*ENTIRE*_ FOLDER, INCLUDING THE ORIGINAL MESSAGES AND EVERYTHING! In order to accomplish what you really want, you have to move everything you have "sent" to the output folder, and then "send" the folder. If you forget to clear the folder after sending, and you "send folder" again, two copys will be shipped off, meaning that if you want to keep a copy of what you sent, you have to then move it all back out to somewhere else. Users were sending eight and ten copys of some messages, and at (potentally) 10 bucks a message (overnight, paper letter, overseas, whatever) through worst case usage of paid mail services this could be more than stupid and damaging to your company's reputation, it can be downright expensive. You don't need PMX/TERM to use even the most subtle portions of the attmail service (which is really a nice and complete service) and the PMX/TERM program makes mistakes too easy. I have wiped it from our system, and I now possess a $1,200 binder and diskette which I have stuffed behind the things I use. On the good side, the editor is nice for non-competent users, but those same users then cause other disasters and are always comming back with questions. ALWAYS! > > --Bill > impulse!wtm@neoucom.UUCP <- temporary email address Rob. P.s. You asked.