ken@gatech.edu (Ken Seefried iii) (05/24/88)
There seems to be a lot of interest in wether or not X Windows is availible for System V/386 in an AT type machine. I have done quite a bit of digging as this is a priority for my new system, and the following is what I have discovered. Interestingly, there is at least one vendor with a NeWS port running... *****DISCLAIMER: unless stated otherwise, I have not seen these systems work, and therefore should not be held accountable if they are vapourware. *****DISCLAIMER: i do not work for, represent, or get money from any of the companies i am about to mention.... *****DISCLAIMER: my typing is somewhat under par...;'} On with the show........ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interactive Systems: From those talented people that brought you System V for the 80386, now we have XWindows. Indeed, most of the rest of this article discusses boards that are using the Interactive X port. Interactives port is based on X10.4. Supported systems include EGA, VGA, Hercules, Microfield, Matrox, IMAgraph, Omnicomp and IBM 8514. One really interesting thing is that Interactive claims that X has been integrated with VP/ix allowing DOS to run in a window.... Bell Technologies (no, not MaBell ;'} ): From the talented people that brought you the System V/386 device drivers, we have an X board. Bell and Intel have teamed up and designed a video board based on the i82786 graphics chip and 1MB of dual ported static-column ram. The system displays 1660x1200 mono on a Priceton LM-301 or Moniterm Viking 1 monitor, or 640x480 in 256 colours on a multisync type monitor. The i82786 is a good chip for windowing work, so performance should be quite good. I have heard rumours that it runs faster than a Sun3/50 running X, but i won't hold my breath. Best thing about this board is that it only costs $1K with the software, wich means about $1.5K for a complete board+monitor+X system. By the way, the board is called the 'Blit Express'. Matrox: Matrox has a board called the PG-1281 that is probably the fastest of the bunch, IF the specs mean anything. The board has a TI34010 controlling a buch of custom graphics hardware. It can be ordered with either .5MB 1.5MB of RAM and either a 4 or 8 bit DAC. Display is 1280x1024 on a read/ write area of 2048x1024 with either 16 or 256 colours out of a palette of 4096 or 16M colours. One little drawback...the base model will set you back almost $3000, going over $4000 for the delux version. That does not include the monitor (in the $2500 ballpark). Ouch, but you get what you pay for... IMAgraph: Finally, a board that I have actually seen run. Didn't get to play, much, but it seemed quite fast. This board is based on the TI34010 (my personal favorite graphics chip), and sports .5, 1.5 or 3.5MB of memory. Display is 1280x1024 in either 16 or 256 colours from a palette of 4096 or 16M. Read/ write area is again 2Kx1K. IMAgraph suggests that no less than 1.5MB be on the board for X. Microfield: Another board that I have seen running X, although it was NOT under System V/386. This board was running in a system based on the Opus Series 200PM National Semi 32332 coprocessor (in an AT). The Board DOES run System V rel. 3.1, so I see no reason why it won't run for the 386 (Interactive claims support). I played for a while, and respose was resonable. the board is called the P8, and i have no info about the board or the company (other than seeing one and having it recomended by two different people). I will be pusuing it, however. The disply looked like a 1280x1024 in 256 colours. Cornerstone: And now for something totally different...NeWS. Cornerstones DualPage system has the new Sun windowing system running. Right now, it is under Xenix, with no word on System V/386. The board displays 1600x1280 in up to 16 grey scales. I whatched this board run at Comdex on a Compaq 386/20 and with about 8 demos running in windows, it was SLOOOOWWWWW. That poor Compaq was on its knees. It is still refreshing, however, to see something a bit off the beatten path, and i wouldn't mind owning one of these to play with NeWS... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm sure that there are several that I missed (like Omnicomp...does ANYONE know anything about these guys????), and if your favorite wiz-bang do-it-all graphics card/X implimentation isn't on here, sorry....write your own article.... hope this helps... ken seefried iii ken@gatech.edu
reggie@pdn.UUCP (George W. Leach) (05/25/88)
In article <17161@gatech.edu> ken@gatech.edu (Ken Seefried iii) writes: >Cornerstone: > > And now for something totally different...NeWS. Cornerstones DualPage > system has the new Sun windowing system running. SCO is working on offering the NeWS/X11 Merged Windowing system for the UNIX 386 marketplace as well. -- George W. Leach Paradyne Corporation ..!uunet!pdn!reggie Mail stop LF-207 Phone: (813) 530-2376 P.O. Box 2826 Largo, FL 34649-2826
keithe@tekgvs.TEK.COM (Keith Ericson) (05/27/88)
In article <17161@gatech.edu> ken@gatech.edu (Ken Seefried iii) writes:
<
<
<Microfield:
<
<Another board that I have seen running X, although it was NOT under
<System V/386. This board was running in a system based on the Opus
^^^^^^^^^^^^
See below.
<Series 200PM National Semi 32332 coprocessor (in an AT). The Board DOES
<run System V rel. 3.1, so I see no reason why it won't run for the 386
<(Interactive claims support). I played for a while, and respose was
<resonable. The board is called the P8, and i have no info about the
^^
It's a "T8"
<board or the company (other than seeing one and having it recomended by
<two different people). I will be pusuing it, however. The display
<looked like a 1280x1024 in 256 colours.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Correct (except for the spelling :-) )
<
We have Interactive's vp/ix (a SysV/386) running X on T8's and it
works just fine. Microfield is a local company (probably a Tek spin-off)
and we were peripherally involved in their driver development.
keith