wsl@erc3bc.UUCP (W.S.Lobel) (02/23/88)
A while ago I posted a request for some information on Database
programs available for the ST. I have yet to see or receive any
responses so I'll just have to try again.
Just some short answers to few questions:
(1) What is considered the best relational Database product available?
(2) Is there now (or will be in the near future) a SQL based database
available for the ST?
(3) Is pc-ditto a worthwhile product?
(4) Would it be practical to run an MS-DOS DB package on the ST using
pc-ditto?
I hope someone will post a response. Any and all are much appreciated.
(I also want to make sure my postings are getting out to the net).
Thanks in advance,
Warren S. Lobel
erc3bb!wsl
(Hopewell, NJ)franco@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu (02/23/88)
I have to say that PC Ditto is worth the money...It runs just about everything. The only programs I have not been able to run using PC Ditto are some terminal emulation things like Pibterm. There are only two problems with Pc Ditto. The first is that it is slow on many things. However, interfacing with, say, DBASE III+ is fast enough. Using Procomm at 1200 baud is fine. Compiling and editing with Turbo Pascal is easy. However, some things are too slow to be useful. My biggest problem is that PC Scheme, the second most important IBM stuff to me, is in this category. My guess is that PC Scheme runs at about 5 percent of IBM PC speed. The editor cannot be used at all because of slowness. I am now testing PC TeX, the most important IBM stuff I have. By the end of the week I should know whether that is useful. The second problem is that PC Ditto, as far as I know, still has not produced a version for black and white monitors. There is at least one alternative that should be available any day now. That is a hardware emulator from Monarch (Pheonix Az, I believe). This sticks on the back of your 1040 or 520 (all ports are still available, however), has 4.77 Mhz and 8.0Mhz clocks, and uses the ST memory only (it was originally reported that it had its own 512k worth of memory). Price: not fixed but expected to be in the $350 ballpark. I recently heard it was awaiting FCC approval. I will probably have to get this in order to run Scheme (unless an Atari version shows up). franco@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu
franco@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu (02/23/88)
I have to say that PC Ditto is worth the money...It runs just about everything. The only programs I have not been able to run using PC Ditto are some terminal emulation things like Pibterm. There are only two problems with Pc Ditto. The first is that it is slow on many things. However, interfacing with, say, DBASE III+ is fast enough. Using Procomm at 1200 baud is fine. Compiling and editing with Turbo Pascal is easy. On the other hand, some things are too slow to be useful. My biggest problem is that PC Scheme, the second most important IBM stuff to me, is in this category. My guess is that PC Scheme runs at about 5 percent of IBM PC speed. The editor cannot be used at all because of slowness. I am now testing PC TeX, the most important IBM stuff I have. By the end of the week I should know whether that is useful. The second problem is that PC Ditto, as far as I know, still has not produced a version for black and white monitors. There is at least one alternative that should be available any day now. That is a hardware emulator from Monarch (Pheonix Az, I believe). This sticks on the back of your 1040 or 520 (all ports are still available, however), has 4.77 Mhz and 8.0Mhz clocks, and uses the ST memory only (it was originally reported that it had its own 512k worth of memory). Price: not fixed but expected to be in the $350 ballpark. I recently heard it was awaiting FCC approval. I will probably have to get this in order to run Scheme (unless an Atari version shows up). franco@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu
ferneau@silver.bacs.indiana.edu (02/23/88)
While I cannot answer all of your questions, I can answer a few... >(3) Is pc-ditto a worthwhile product? Yes, pc-ditto is a terriffic product. While it is not extremely fast, it does get the job done and opens up the owner to an avalanche of public domain software or commercial s/w. The only problem I have had so far is that it is slow with games. >(4) Would it be practical to run an MS-DOS DB package on the ST using > pc-ditto? Yes, I have used dBase III+ with pc-ditto on my ST. It's functional enough. It is kind of eerie seeing the IBM-pc font on the screen all the while typing away at the ST. I really do not notice the speed in dBase III+, except when typing at the dot prompt. Otherwise (with Assist and the Applications Generator) it seems just as fast as the IBM. Good Luck! *************************************************************************** ferneau@silver.bacs.indiana.edu * Mark Ferneau ihnp4!inuxc!iuvax!silver!ferneau * include <ferrari.pic> ferneau@silver.UUCP * 'This Space Intentionally left blank' ***************************************************************************
david@bdt.UUCP (David Beckemeyer) (02/25/88)
I can't answer all your questions but... In article <16@erc3bc.UUCP> wsl@erc3bc.UUCP writes: >(2) Is there now (or will be in the near future) a SQL based database > available for the ST? Frank Cohen of Regent Software tells me he has a SQL package for the ST. We were talking about adding multi-user RTX support for it. I don't know the exact status, and I don't think he has a USENET address. Perhaps you could call his company (REGENT). Sorry I can't help more. -- David Beckemeyer | "To understand ranch lingo all yuh Beckemeyer Development Tools | have to do is to know in advance what 478 Santa Clara Ave, Oakland, CA 94610 | the other feller means an' then pay UUCP: ...!ihnp4!hoptoad!bdt!david | no attention to what he says"
wes@obie.UUCP (Barnacle Wes) (03/01/88)
In article <16@erc3bc.UUCP>, wsl@erc3bc.UUCP writes: > (2) Is there now (or will be in the near future) a SQL based database > available for the ST? Well, Atari announced a while ago that they would be selling one of the BIG Unix-type SQL databases for the ST *running Idris*. Idris, if you haven't heard of it, is a "Unix-clone" o.s. I think the database was either Ingres or Oracle, both of which are well-regarded products in the Unix minicomputer world. > (3) Is pc-ditto a worthwhile product? Yes, but it does have some limitations. The current version only runs with the color monitor. They have announced a new version that will support monochrome; it may already be out. PC-Ditto does a very good job of mimicking the IBM PC on the ST, but it is fairly slow at a lot of operations. > (4) Would it be practical to run an MS-DOS DB package on the ST using > pc-ditto? If you will be using the database heavily, you'd be better off either finding one for the ST, or buying a cheap IBM clone. Besides, the only SQL database for MS-DOS I know of (Oracle) require a 286 machine with lots of extended (protected-mode) memory. Maybe a cheap AT-clone? > I hope someone will post a response. Any and all are much appreciated. > (I also want to make sure my postings are getting out to the net). They are, at least as far as Ewe-taw (the ass end of the universe). > Thanks in advance, > > Warren S. Lobel > erc3bb!wsl > (Hopewell, NJ) Your welcome in arrears, Wes Peters -- /\ - "Against Stupidity, - {backbones}! /\/\ . /\ - The Gods Themselves - utah-cs!utah-gr! / \/ \/\/ \ - Contend in Vain." - uplherc!sp7040! / U i n T e c h \ - Schiller - obie!wes
wolf@csclea.ncsu.edu (Thomas Wolf) (03/04/88)
In article <79@obie.UUCP> wes@obie.UUCP (Barnacle Wes) writes: <some deleted stuff> > >> (3) Is pc-ditto a worthwhile product? > >Yes, but it does have some limitations. The current version only runs >with the color monitor. They have announced a new version that will As far as I know, the monochrome capable version of pc-ditto has been available for the past 3 months now (maybe even longer). Tom Wolf ARPA (I think): tw@cscosl.ncsu.edu or wolf@csclea.ncsu.edu
dale@slovax.UUCP (Dale L. Thomas) (03/05/88)
> In article <16@erc3bc.UUCP>, wsl@erc3bc.UUCP writes: > > (2) Is there now (or will be in the near future) a SQL based database > > available for the ST? > > Well, Atari announced a while ago that they would be selling one of > the BIG Unix-type SQL databases for the ST *running Idris*. Idris, if > you haven't heard of it, is a "Unix-clone" o.s. I think the database > was either Ingres or Oracle, both of which are well-regarded products > in the Unix minicomputer world. The database slated to run under Idris on the ST was Oracle. I hope to see it happen, unfortunately Atari has to wake up and start supporting the developers out there. Idris is a multi-user multi-tasking Unix like operating system. I really enjoy using it, I work on various Unix systems at work, and feel right at home working with it. I have been porting some public domain utilities and games for Unix machines, and find that there is little or no work to get them running under Idris. The C compiler and utilities are very nice. My only complaint is that it needs a "csh". I miss history, and cd ~foo etc. ( any one have public domain sources for a csh like shell). P.S. I have seen and touched X windows (X10) on the ST!! --stayed tuned-- -- {psivax,ism780}!logico!slovax!dale : {hplsla,uw-beaver}!tikal!slovax!dale Dale Thomas R & D Associates,3625 Perkins Lane SW,Tacoma,Wa 98499,206-581-1322