allbery@axcess.UUCP (Brandon S. Allbery) (01/15/88)
A few comments... Oracle and Unify are also available for the 3B1. (Accell isn't. Unify Corp., if you're listening: Please correct this! I would *kill* for a good DBMS on this thing!) I think I saw Progress available as well, but I'm not certain of it. If your previous experience is Unix, skip the Smart Software. If this critter's the same on PClones as it is on the 3B1, it's no wonder I'd never heard of it before: the only thing I found even partially useable was the spreadsheet. I've offloaded it and am willing to sell it for $200 to anyone interested... the DBMS is okay if all you're after is dBase III type of stuff (having used Informix, Unify, and Oracle, I can't put up with dBase-style DBMSes). Probably good for people upgrading from PClones to real computers. [ ;-) ] -- ___ ________________, Brandon S. Allbery cbosgd \ ' \/ __ __, __, aXcess Company mandrill| __ | /__> <__ <__ 6615 Center St. #A1-105 !ncoast! / ` | \__. .__> .__> Mentor, OH 44060-4101 necntc | axcess!allbery \___/\________________. Moderator, comp.sources.misc hoptoad/
erict@flatline.UUCP (eric townsend) (01/19/88)
In article <135@axcess.UUCP>, allbery@axcess.UUCP (Brandon S. Allbery) writes: > If your previous experience is Unix, skip the Smart Software. If this > critter's the same on PClones as it is on the 3B1, it's no wonder I'd never > heard of it before: the only thing I found even partially useable was the > spreadsheet. Well, we resell the Smart package as part of our software line, and on a PC, it's not that bad. It uses these DOS things called 'overlays' that allow you to load your main body of code, then load different sections of code *over* parts of that code for each major program you want to run. Gak. Ok, it looks like this: +>:| | :| | :| | :^----- 'Overlaid' code to turn the rest of the code into a word processor. | : | : +>: | ^------ 'Main' part of Smart executable, roughly 100K | +---- the code between the '+>'s is as big as the code will ever get. This make any sense? I hope so. Anyway, on the unix-pc, this wouldn't work. Oh wait. It *would*. Overlays are kind of like a kluged shared memory thing for DOS. I would think that Smart could be recompiled using shared memory. Anyway... under DOS it does all the same things, just faster and in less memory. The most Smart will take up on a DOS machine is roughly 130k. Gads. It's hard to explain stupid DOS klugdes. -- J. Eric Townsend ->uunet!nuchat!flatline!erict smail:511Parker#2,Hstn,Tx,77007 Just another journalist with too much computing power.| 'Hey, watch me ollie 'Girls play with toys. Real women skate.' --Powell Peralta ad.| this <whump>'
gregg@comdim.UUCP (Gregg Stratton) (01/20/88)
In article <300@flatline.UUCP>, erict@flatline.UUCP (eric townsend) writes: > In article <135@axcess.UUCP>, allbery@axcess.UUCP (Brandon S. Allbery) writes: > > If your previous experience is Unix, skip the Smart Software. If this > > Well, we resell the Smart package as part of our software line, and on > a PC, it's not that bad. Smart may not be too bad on the PC, but on the 3B1 it is unuseable. Creating a font that fit 80 characters in a *bordered* window makes it very hard on the eyes. All those little, tiny characters surrounded by a Smart window border surrounded by the 3B1 border makes for a very poor implementation of a product. Gregg Stratton --------------------------------------------------------------------- Voice (home): (415) 626-9619 Voice (work): (408) 943-2410 UUCP: ..!ihnp4!ptsfa!comdim!gregg CIS: 74036,2576
richard@islenet.UUCP (Richard Foulk) (01/22/88)
> Smart may not be too bad on the PC, but on the 3B1 it is unuseable. > Creating a font that fit 80 characters in a *bordered* window makes it > very hard on the eyes. All those little, tiny characters surrounded by > a Smart window border surrounded by the 3B1 border makes for a very poor > implementation of a product. I second that observation. It is an amazingly stupid implementation. -- Richard Foulk ...{dual,vortex,ihnp4}!islenet!richard Honolulu, Hawaii
edward@engr.uky.edu (Edward C. Bennett) (01/26/88)
In article <3814@islenet.UUCP> richard@islenet.UUCP (Richard Foulk) writes: >> Smart may not be too bad on the PC, but on the 3B1 it is unuseable. >> Creating a font that fit 80 characters in a *bordered* window makes it >> very hard on the eyes. All those little, tiny characters surrounded by >> a Smart window border surrounded by the 3B1 border makes for a very poor >> implementation of a product. > >I second that observation. It is an amazingly stupid implementation. That, however, seems to be its only drawback. I had the opportunity to play with Smart over the weekend. So far it seems like a very nice package, but, like you said, the font is hard on your eyes. OK, if we rule out Smart as a viable spreadsheet/database package, what else is there? -- Edward C. Bennett DOMAIN: edward@engr.uky.edu UUCP: {cbosgd|uunet}!ukma!ukecc!edward "Goodnight M.A." BITNET: edward%ukecc.uucp@ukma "He's become a growling, snarling white-hot mass of canine terror"