mark.levy@canremote.uucp (MARK LEVY) (02/06/90)
ps>From: paul@devon.lns.pa.us (Paul Sutcliffe Jr.) ps>Subj: Info wanted on Altos 586 system ps>Orga: Devon Computer Services, Lancaster, PA ps>I have a (potential) customer who has an Altos 586 system running ps>Xenix 3.0b. He has asked me to help him evaluate potential ps>replacement systems. I could do him a better service if I knew what ps>the 586 was. What CPU (I suspect an '286) is in there? Is the Xenix ps>a special Altos version; and does it have any quirks? ps>Any info would be appreciated. And, of course, thanks in advance. The Altos (ACS) 586 was one of the first "UNIX PCs" available. It uses a 10MHz 8086, and came standard with 5 serial ports. Options included a tape drive and an expansion board that expanded memory and the number of serial ports to 9 (the 986). The Altos 586 was also sold under the CDC label. The hardware is all proprietary (something that Altos is still doing today), and the software, XENIX 3.0b is also proprietary. The last I heard, 3.0b was the most recent revision (possibly the final one) of that version of XENIX. It is closely realted to UNIX version 6. The DOS commands that allow compatibility with floppy disks never made it onto the 586, though they were ported to the XENIX 3.XX for the 2086. It is a good machine, but slow and pretty limited. Mark --- ~ DeLuxe 1.11a18 #3019 ~ QNet 2.04a:NorthAmeriNet: Sound Advice BBS ~ Gladstone ~ MO