[comp.os.minix] P-H has MINIX in stock

ast@cs.vu.nl (Andy Tanenbaum) (12/09/87)

I talked to P-H yesterday.  Version 1.2 of MINIX in 256K & 640K PC, 512K AT, 
mag tape, and the IBM slipcase version with the abridged book are all
in stock.  If it is of any consolation to the people who have had to wait
and wait and wait, one of the corporate vice presidents was so unhappy
about the poor service to customers that he fired the person who was in charge
of managing the MINIX inventory.  He has been replaced by someone else who has 
clear instructions to make sure it doesn't go out of stock again.  They are now
shipping to everyone whose order got backlogged.

Andy Tanenbaum (ast@cs.vu.nl)

bob@dhw68k.cts.com (Bob Best) (12/19/87)

In article <1779@botter.cs.vu.nl> ast@cs.vu.nl (Andy Tanenbaum) writes:
>
>I talked to P-H yesterday.  Version 1.2 of MINIX in 256K & 640K PC, 512K AT, 
>mag tape, and the IBM slipcase version with the abridged book are all
>in stock.
>
>Andy Tanenbaum (ast@cs.vu.nl)

After having waited one month for delivery, I finally received the Minix
version 1.1 (!) disks for the IBM-PC 640k system.  I immediately called
Prentice-Hall and spoke to a man by the name of Jim Fagan who told me
that the disks for version 1.2 would *not* be available for shipment until
February 1988.  He also told me that the changes in version 1.2 were
relevant only to the IBM-AT version hard disk support, and, hence, were
of no consequence to the IBM-PC disks that I ordered.

It was my understanding that the source code for IBM-AT specific device
drivers are included with the IBM-PC disk set, and I would expect the 
IBM-PC disks to contain any revisions pertaining to the IBM-AT. 
Since I intend to run Minix on both systems, I require working drivers
for both the PC and AT.

It would seem that there is still some confusion and/or
misinformation surrounding the distribution of the Minix software.  Does
anybody *really* know what is happening here?  I am sure that all Minix
enthusiasts agree that Dr. Tanenbaum's brilliant contribution deserves better
handling and support.

In the meantime, could someone please direct me to a convenient source
for the version 1.2 diffs.  I have abandoned hope of ever getting them
from P-H.

-- 
Bob Best
uucp: ...{trwrb,hplabs}!felix!dhw68k!bob	InterNet: bob@dhw68k.cts.com