dewey@dell.dell.com (Dewey Coffman) (08/10/89)
In article <6972@megatest.UUCP> palowoda@megatest.UUCP (Bob Palowoda) writes: > > That reminds me. What's with Dell Computers with it's UNIX and > Xwindow OS it's offering? It claims to have the Motiff user interface > etc. Is this really SCO's UNIX? Anybody check up on it? > Dell's UNIX System is based on Interactives 2.0 product. It's been customized for Dell hardware. ie. all our machines have one parallel port, two serial ports... VGA is supported better with hardware screen scrolling.....Telebit dialer line is the Dialers file. Basically, hardware we sell, we tried to put support in our UNIX System for it. The current Motif offering is just the Motif Window Manager(mwm) from Snapshot #7, a genuine alpha release we ported. Full functionality available at that time including the Accelerator Keys. Bugs will be found in it, Yet we felt it was best to get it out so that user would have a GUI NOW. We give away X free with every UNIX System, and that includes mwm. As soon as Motif 1.0 is availble (not the General Availbility Release) we will update customers with it. I don't want to get to commerical, but to give you an idea of prices, here's what we posted to comp.newprod. Also the July 10, 1989 Reseller News Magazine published Benchmarks by Workstation Laboratories: DELL OFFERS HIGHEST RATING ALONG WITH LOWEST PRICE ....... While all systems did reasonably well (compared with their workstation cousins), the Dell Computer Corporation System 325, which is priced at $1.83 per Khornerstone, rates excellent. ....... Below is some of what was posted in comp.newprod. For more information, call 1-800-426-5150 and ask to speak to Buck Allen in Sales who I warned about the power of USENET. He can send you full pricing information. Dewey Coffman Dell Computer Corp Austin, Texas {uunet, texbell, cs.utexas.edu}!dell!dewey dewey@dell.dell.com ------ comp.newprod excerpt ------------------------------------ July 26, 1989 - Austin, TX ..... As of July, Dell began shipping the X Window System (version 11.3) with the OSF/Motif Window Manager. X and Motif are also included in the base system and are available as a free upgrade to current Dell UNIX customers. ...... Sample configurations and prices - Note: prices include Dell UNIX software with VP/ix, X, and Motif Window Manager as well as documentation and 30 days of technical support. Support beyond 30 days is available at an additional charge. Dell System 316 $5399 * 16 MHz 80386SX * 4 MB RAM * 100 MB IDE disk * 1.2 MB floppy drive * VGA monochrome monitor and adapter * 1-2 user UNIX license Dell System 310 $7099 * 20 MHz 80386 * 4 MB RAM * 150 MB ESDI disk * 1.2 MB floppy drive * VGA color monitor and adapter * 1-2 user UNIX license Dell System 325 $11698 * 25 MHz 80386 * 8 MB RAM * 322 MB ESDI disk * 1.2 MB floppy drive * VGA color monitor and adapter * 1-2 user UNIX license Note: prices are subject to change For more information, call 1-800-426-5150 and ask for UNIX.
marco@hpmcaa.mcm.hp.com (Marco Dalla-Gasperina) (08/11/89)
> VGA is supported better with > hardware screen scrolling..... ---------- Hardware scrolling? I'm very interested in this, can you elaborate? Scrolling (especially horizontal in graphics mode) is a difficult problem. I wasn't aware that the VGA had any hardware assist in this area (except for the ability to change the address of the display buffer). What gives? marco
palowoda@fiver.UUCP (Bob Palowoda) (08/18/89)
In article <2624@dell.dell.com>, dewey@dell.dell.com (Dewey Coffman) writes: > In article <6972@megatest.UUCP> palowoda@megatest.UUCP (Bob Palowoda) writes: > > > > That reminds me. What's with Dell Computers with it's UNIX and > > Xwindow OS it's offering? It claims to have the Motiff user interface > > etc. Is this really SCO's UNIX? Anybody check up on it? > > > Dell's UNIX System is based on Interactives 2.0 product. It's > been customized for Dell hardware. ie. all our machines have ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ See ITEM #1 > one parallel port, two serial ports... VGA is supported better with > hardware screen scrolling.....Telebit dialer line is the Dialers file. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This is interesting, how is this done? It's not locked to any peticular hardware card is it? > Basically, hardware we sell, we tried to put support in our UNIX > System for it. ITEM #1 This is ok, just as long as you don't lock the software to any of the hardware you sell. Bell Tech. did that with one of there tape drive interfaces and it really piss** off alot of there customers. > The current Motif offering is just the Motif Window > Manager(mwm) from Snapshot #7, a genuine alpha release we ported. > Full functionality available at that time including the Accelerator > Keys. Bugs will be found in it, Yet we felt it was best to get it out > so that user would have a GUI NOW. We give away X free with every > UNIX System, and that includes mwm. As soon as Motif 1.0 is availble > (not the General Availbility Release) we will update customers with > it. > > I don't want to get to commerical, but to give you an idea of prices, [stuff deleted about hardware prices] Well I was more interested in the software prices. So I did call Dell and and this is the price's for the software: 1445.00 SysV OS, Xindows and Vpix with manuals. (window mangers, twm, uwm, and mwm) 549.00 Development 295.00 TCP/IP That's the info I was looking for. Will a DOS session that is started with VPIX run inside one of the Xwindows, wiether it be TWM (Toms Window Manager) or the Motiff Window Manger? In other words does the dos session work with virtual consoles or virtual terminals? ---Bob
james@raid.dell.com (James Van Artsdalen) (08/21/89)
In <133@fiver.UUCP>, palowoda@fiver.UUCP (Bob Palowoda) wrote: | [...] VGA is supported better with hardware screen scrolling [...] > This is interesting, how is this done? It's not locked to any > particular hardware card is it? No, it's not specific to any particular card. It just uses the hardware scrolling feature. I can't recall offhand if the EGA has this or not, but certainly any VGA will. The screen driver works fine if the hardware scrolling isn't present: it just reverts to the slow scroll (like DOS uses). | Dell's UNIX System is based on Interactives 2.0 product. It's | been customized for Dell hardware. ie. all our machines have [...] | Basically, hardware we sell, we tried to put support in our UNIX | System for it. > This is ok, just as long as you don't lock the software to any > of the hardware you sell. Bell Tech. did that with one of > there tape drive interfaces and it really piss** off alot > of there customers. Keep in mind that Dell is primarily a hardware vendor, and that the unix offering is a vehicle for selling more Dell hardware. The intent is not to support every known variant on a keyboard/mouse/CRT, but to have a unix that supports the hardware that we sell very well. There will always be software vendors who sell generic unix that supports the least common demoninator among PCs. By aiming at a narrower range of hardware (ie, what we sell), we can achieve a higher level of optimization than if we were to make the product all things with all hardware. > Will a DOS session that is started with VPIX run inside one > of the Xwindows, wiether it be TWM (Toms Window Manager) or > the Motiff Window Manger? VP/ix runs just fine under with Motif and TWM (I just tested it). -- James R. Van Artsdalen james@raid.dell.com "Live Free or Die" DCC Corporation 9505 Arboretum Blvd Austin TX 78759 512-338-8789
palowoda@fiver.UUCP (Bob Palowoda) (08/21/89)
From article <2873@dell.dell.com>, by james@raid.dell.com (James Van Artsdalen): > In <133@fiver.UUCP>, palowoda@fiver.UUCP (Bob Palowoda) wrote: > >> This is ok, just as long as you don't lock the software to any >> of the hardware you sell. Bell Tech. did that with one of >> there tape drive interfaces and it really piss** off alot >> of there customers. > > Keep in mind that Dell is primarily a hardware vendor, and that the > unix offering is a vehicle for selling more Dell hardware. The intent > is not to support every known variant on a keyboard/mouse/CRT, but to > have a unix that supports the hardware that we sell very well. > > There will always be software vendors who sell generic unix that > supports the least common demoninator among PCs. By aiming at a > narrower range of hardware (ie, what we sell), we can achieve a higher > level of optimization than if we were to make the product all things > with all hardware. Whoa there. What I meant to say is that Bell Tech. in fact made a hardware change to there tape drive that only worked with there modified version of there device driver. You give any indication to the public that you customize your software for your hardware you might scare them away. Sure optimization is good, but if your going to sell on that the users wait until some magazine benchmarks your product. I see nothing wrong with useing UNIX to value add and increase there hardware sales. Seems to be alot more companies doing it. What's more impressive is when you see a company like Everex that list's all the hardware there version of 386 UNIX runs on. But useing many other versions of 3.2 there is very little hardware that it dosn't run on any longer. So what did Dell do to optimize there software that's the big plus? >> Will a DOS session that is started with VPIX run inside one >> of the Xwindows, wiether it be TWM (Toms Window Manager) or >> the Motiff Window Manger? > > VP/ix runs just fine under with Motif and TWM (I just tested it). All right! ---Bob -- Bob Palowoda *Home of Fiver BBS* login: bbs Home {sun,dasiy}!ys2!fiver!palowoda (415)-623-8809 1200/2400 Work {sun,pyramid,decwrl}!megatest!palowoda (415)-623-8806 1200/2400/9600/19200 Voice: (415)-623-7495 Public access UNIX system