goedhart@neabbs.UUCP (ROB GOEDHART) (07/13/89)
Hello America!
I've some questions that you might be able to answer.
This is my situation: As a result of an "information
planning" effort in a group of printing companies,
IUm proposing a management-information network setup,
an environment in which the managers of these companies
will be able to manage & communicate their (strategic)
information more efficient and effective. (Hopefully I
will be able to graduate on this project at the
"information sciences" -department of the University of
Amsterdam)
As we all know, a modern manager simply CANUT LIVE
without a MacIIcx(4/80). And of course, it all needs
to be hooked up to a high speed network.
Some managers are near each other, and they will be
connected through an existing (but not really
functioning too well) 3Com ethernet. Approximately 3
managers are on remote sites, and need to call in
through telephone lines. (Yes, I know, they need
T2500Us and MicroPhone 3.0).
The software they will learn in a year or two (weUre
trying to standardize on hard- & software) will consist
of Word 4.0 (free text), Excel 2.0 (numbers & graphs),
MoreII (random information "databases") , FilemakerII
(list-like data).
Here are some questions:
o Should we keep the 3Com system, or better take the
LocalTalk-on-ethernet ("Ethertalk") option? The problems
we have with the 3Com solution are:
- Computer gets much slower when using 3Com
- No LocalTalk support (this keeps you from using
FilemakerII in multiuser mode, makes sharing a
LinoTronic unattractive compared to sharing one on
LocalTalk, and in general keeps you from using any of the
wonderful LocalTalk-based applications (QuickMail for
example).
- RESTART YOUR COMPUTER every time you switch from
LocalTalk to 3Com, which is very annoying and
- Instable software (this is the real killer)
IUm aware that 3Com is working on LocalTalk support, and
things might improve in the future when os/2 becomes
widespread, and a new version of the networking software
is released. What should we do, on balance?
o What is the best way to provide remote access to this
central network ?
o Am I right on the software for the managers, and in
what sequence should it roughly be learned (IUm sure they
could take advantage of all of them, and I know that all
this depends on their specific needs, but I would like
some comments on "managers learning Macintosh software")
o Which of the following network-related topics will be of
importance to a modern (printing- & electronic publishing-)
company in the near (5 years) future; X25, X400, ISDN,
V32 etc.
(am I forgetting something here?), and in which of these
topics should we specially be interested? We sure would
like to capture some of the "free flowing network
electronic printing & DTP" work!
Greetings from Amsterdam,
-=[ Rob Goedhart ]=-
Word 4.0 ! Thank you MicroSoft, Thank you!