[comp.protocols.nfs] Want opinions on X servers using PC-NFS

dale@wucs1.wustl.edu (Dale Frye) (10/18/90)

I am looking at several X server programs that support PC-NFS.
Am looking for opinions on any X server.

Requirements:
Use or work with PC-NFS
Support 256 colors on existing hardware (super VGA)
prefer Windows 3.0 support but not necessary.
Must be runnable from Windows 3.0 

I've talked to several vendors and think I can narrow it down to:

X11/AT from Integrated Inference Machines
<something>-exceed Plus from Hummingbird (it's late and I'm at home)

send mail or post to the net. Thanks

Dale Frye
Washington University in St. Louis

peterh@gollum.uio.no (Peter Hausken) (10/25/90)

>Reply-To: dale@wucs1.wustl.edu (Dale Frye)
>Date: 18 Oct 90 05:05:32 GMT
>
>I am looking at several X server programs that support PC-NFS.
>Am looking for opinions on any X server.
>
>Requirements:
>Use or work with PC-NFS
>Support 256 colors on existing hardware (super VGA)
>prefer Windows 3.0 support but not necessary.
>Must be runnable from Windows 3.0 
>
>I've talked to several vendors and think I can narrow it down to:
>
>X11/AT from Integrated Inference Machines
><something>-exceed Plus from Hummingbird (it's late and I'm at home)
>
>send mail or post to the net. Thanks
>
>Dale Frye
>Washington University in St. Louis
>

I've been using HCL-eXceed version 2.0s plus with PC-NFS for a while.
(I'm using a IBM PS/2 modell 80 with 4Mb RAM in VGA mode). It works
and is relativly stabil. Unfortually PC-NFS limits you to 7 connections
(limited # of sockets) so you can't have more than 6 windows + window-
manager. It fails from time to time, but the most common fail is that 
the Window manager aborts. The speed is not impressive, but acceptable.
I found that the Motif Windowmanager (mwm) is a lot slower than let's
say twm or dxwm so I prefer using one of the lighter windowmanagers with
it.

If some one have any experience with X11/AT from Integrated Inference 
Machines, I'd like to hear it. 

There is also a product called PC-Xview from GSS (Graphic Software
Systems). I've tested version 1.3 and 1.4, but had to much trouble 
with them and are awaiting version 2.0 before I'll say to much about
it.

QuaterDeck has announced DeskView/X (one of the last numbers of Byte)
If the product materializes according to the specs, it'll be a great
product, but I dont't believe in it before I've seen it. It's said to
ablebe able to run DOS text applications as X-clients towards other
DeskView/X or any X-server in the network as well as beeing a X-server
it self. Unfortunatly there is no commitment for a PC-NFS version.

Generally, my impression of X-servers is that it might be an interesting
possiblity with fast 386 machines with at least 4Mb RAM, but as a 
system for end-users to use in their daily work it's a bit early.
I'll expect that it's first when we got a X-server integrated with
Windows 3.0 on a 486 prosessor it'll be really usefull for jobs other 
than a few xterm's and an emacs.
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