bieber@felix.UUCP (Doug Bieber) (04/05/91)
I just received a "flyer" from GeoWorks software for a package called
Ensemble. It is Motif compliant and has numerous software packages that
accompany it: a word processor, a drawing package, a file manager, a
planner, and a communications package.
Graphically, it looks nicer than Windows 3.0. However, I haven't seen a
demo of this product, yet. Has anybody tried this windowing package?
Opinions?!? How does it compare with Microsoft Windows.
Also, GeoWorks stated that they are in the process of creating developer
libraries to develop Ensemble applications. Thanks for any info...
-->Doug
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]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]eagle@garfield.catt.ncsu.edu (Daniel L'Hommedieu) (04/05/91)
In article <160277@felix.UUCP> bieber@felix.UUCP (Doug Bieber) writes: >Graphically, it looks nicer than Windows 3.0. However, I haven't seen a >demo of this product, yet. Has anybody tried this windowing package? >Opinions?!? How does it compare with Microsoft Windows. Doug, I've used Ensemble. I have a 640K 8086 machine (with 28ms hard drive). Ensemble was MUCH faster (very noticable difference) than Windows 3.0. I like the File Manager in Ensemble better than Windows, because it seemed faster (seemed? it WAS faster). From what I understand, Ensemble uses a preemptive multitasking kernel (I did notice that I could launch multiple things at the same time, and that I could effectively write a paper in the word processor while doing things by modem at 19200 baud. Overall, I like GeoWorks and wish I had the money to purchase it! Daniel Name: Daniel C. L'Hommedieu III Snail: NCSU Box 21531/Raleigh/NC/27607 INet: eagle@catt.ncsu.edu Prodigy ID: bccj33d Tel:919 737 6143 Conventional wisdom watch: Old CW: One babe in each of three cities. New CW: Forget babes.
edm@hpfcmdd.hp.com (Ed Moore) (04/09/91)
I tried Ensemble for half an hour, but I'm not a Windows user and have nothing to compare it with. For more expert evaluations you could look at what Steve Gibson said in 12/10/90 InfoWorld, page 30, and at 2/12/91 PC Magazine, page 29. InfoWorld also gave it a Product of the Year award in the 2/4/91 issue.
eshenk@intuit.intuit.COM (Eric Shenk) (04/11/91)
bieber@felix.UUCP (Doug Bieber) writes: >I just received a "flyer" from GeoWorks software for a package called >Ensemble. It is Motif compliant and has numerous software packages that >accompany it: a word processor, a drawing package, a file manager, a >planner, and a communications package. >Graphically, it looks nicer than Windows 3.0. However, I haven't seen a >demo of this product, yet. Has anybody tried this windowing package? >Opinions?!? How does it compare with Microsoft Windows. >Also, GeoWorks stated that they are in the process of creating developer >libraries to develop Ensemble applications. Thanks for any info... Geoworks software is in the user interface business. They are trying (with a lot of success) to gain momentum in the industry for establishing Geos as the standard window environment for low-end PCs. They publically claim that they are pursuing the bottom end of the market while Microsoft is pursuing the high end of the market, and therefore they don't compete with each other. This claim can be independantly verified by trying to run Windows on any machine less than a 386 with numerous meg. However, my astute friend the rocket scientist has observed that a product that runs on a 8086 machine ought to kick some serious behind on a 386. I doubt that Microsoft is very worried (but then again, Goliath wasn't very worried either). As luck would have it, people tend not buy user interfaces when there are no apps, so Geoworks has created Ensemble. The apps are in some ways very basic, provided the minimal functionality one would expect from a word processor or a draw program (after all, they want to provide incentive for app developers to provide the full-featured apps it will take to make Geos a success). However, what they do do is done *really well*. It should be more than adequate for 90% of all home use. Don't be fooled by the phrase "low-end PCs". It may run on low-end PCs, but the product is anything but a low-end product. The design goals that they set out with were not possible to achieve, but nobody told them, so they did it any how. I will only say two things: *every* person I've talked to has gone through these three phases a) (before seeing/playing with product) Nice idea but they don't have a chance of succeeding because of Windows. b) (They play with it). c) Stunning! Amazing! These guys are going to clean house! The second thing I will say is that they are *highly* respected by their peers. At the most recent Software Publishers Association meeting, Ensemble was nominated in three categories. They won four awards. Currently, the devlopment environment is object oriented assembler on Sun Spark stations (they're only able to support a few developers in this environ- ment). However, putting together an SDK is their highest priority. I believe they'd like to get that out by the end of the year or thereabouts. It will support C, as I understand it. -es eshenk@intuit.com With user friendlies like vi, who needs user enemies?
scott@hpcvca.CV.HP.COM (Scott Linn) (04/12/91)
/ hpcvca:comp.sys.ibm.pc / tinman@agora.rain.com (David Tinnyo) / 11:39 pm Apr 9, 1991 / >I've had GeoWorks for about 4 months now. IT IS AWESOME. On my >386sx it just blows the doors off of Windows running on 33mhz 386's. >And performance isn't the only thing: It will actually run on a >512K XT with acceptable performance. Also, it is both multi-tasking >(pre-emptive) and multi-threading. In the draw program for example, >you can scroll the screen in the middle of the update, it'll just >keep going until it catches up with you. You mention these things for GeoWorks apps, but what about DOS apps? Can you run well-behaved dos apps in a GeoWorks window easily? Is it still pre-emptive? Can I use GeoWorks to run full-screen ill-behaved dos apps? Unless it does these things, it is a toy. Windows may be a little slow, etc., but it will do all of the above (except the pre-emptive part). Scott Linn
reeses@milton.u.washington.edu (Feltch Master) (04/12/91)
In article <31700002@hpcvca.CV.HP.COM> scott@hpcvca.CV.HP.COM (Scott Linn) writes: >/ hpcvca:comp.sys.ibm.pc / tinman@agora.rain.com (David Tinnyo) / 11:39 pm Apr 9, 1991 / > >>I've had GeoWorks for about 4 months now. IT IS AWESOME. On my > >You mention these things for GeoWorks apps, but what about DOS apps? >Can you run well-behaved dos apps in a GeoWorks window easily? Is it >still pre-emptive? Can I use GeoWorks to run full-screen ill-behaved >dos apps? Can't run DOS and Ensemble both, with switching...you drop Ensemble when you want to run a DOS app, end type exit to jump back in... > >Unless it does these things, it is a toy. Windows may be a little >slow, etc., but it will do all of the above (except the pre-emptive >part). > Well, it is a little more than a toy, if you consider it just a very nice looking integrated software package...version 2 looks to be promising. >Scott Linn Art Taylor -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- reeses@milton.u.washington.edu University of Washington, Seattle "Reality is a cop-out for people who can't handle drugs"