[comp.windows.ms] 3270 emulator for Windows 3.0

34HLEFG@CMUVM.BITNET (Mark Strandskov) (05/21/91)

I am looking for a 3270 terminal emulator for Windows 3.0.  It
must be able to support a 3270 session across Token Ring and
it is preferable, but not a necessity, that it is a Windows
application and not a DOS application running under Windows.

Any help would be appreciated,

Mark Strandskov
Central Michigan University
34hlefg@cmuvm.bitnet

chip@osh3.OSHA.GOV (Chip Yamasaki) (05/23/91)

In <91141.08385634HLEFG@CMUVM.BITNET> 34HLEFG@CMUVM.BITNET (Mark Strandskov) writes:

>I am looking for a 3270 terminal emulator for Windows 3.0.  It
>must be able to support a 3270 session across Token Ring and
>it is preferable, but not a necessity, that it is a Windows
>application and not a DOS application running under Windows.

We reviewed Extra! for Windows from Attachmate here.  I took a brief
look at it and didn't care for it although I think the DOS version is
fine.  In fact, I run the DOS version under Windows/386 (no, not 3.0
yet) at work daily.  The problems I saw were:

1.  Lots of bugs (I think they are fixed, this was pre-release I think).
2.  More steps to starting a session (although there are probably macros
    to automate the process).
3.  No real advantages (why do character stuff in graphics mode?).

I didn't do the review and probably missed a lot so this really isn't
fair, but I think the concept of a graphics mode character based
terminal emulation is somewhat weird, but they do have it.  They have
probably taken care of all my gripes since they do seem to be a good and
responsive company.  Like I said, I use their standard DOS package daily
with no troubles and like it OK, but I really can't get excited about
anybodys 3270 emulators and I have seen a couple of real loosers.

Hope this helps.
-- 
--
Charles "Chip" Yamasaki
chip@oshcomm.osha.gov

RBYAML@ROHVM1.BITNET (Aengus Lawlor) (05/23/91)

In article <1991May23.042811.8720@osh3.OSHA.GOV>, chip@osh3.OSHA.GOV (Chip
Yamasaki) says:
>
>In <91141.08385634HLEFG@CMUVM.BITNET> 34HLEFG@CMUVM.BITNET (Mark Strandskov)
>writes:
>
>>I am looking for a 3270 terminal emulator for Windows 3.0.  It
>
>We reviewed Extra! for Windows from Attachmate here.  I took a brief
>look at it and didn't care for it although I think the DOS version is
>fine.  In fact, I run the DOS version under Windows/386 (no, not 3.0
>yet) at work daily.  The problems I saw were:
>
>1.  Lots of bugs (I think they are fixed, this was pre-release I think).
>2.  More steps to starting a session (although there are probably macros
>    to automate the process).
>3.  No real advantages (why do character stuff in graphics mode?).
>
>I didn't do the review and probably missed a lot so this really isn't
>fair, but I think the concept of a graphics mode character based
>terminal emulation is somewhat weird, but they do have it.  They have
>probably taken care of all my gripes since they do seem to be a good and
>responsive company.  Like I said, I use their standard DOS package daily
>with no troubles and like it OK, but I really can't get excited about
>anybodys 3270 emulators and I have seen a couple of real loosers.
>
>Hope this helps.
>--
>--
>Charles "Chip" Yamasaki
>chip@oshcomm.osha.gov

We use Extra! for Windows here, and are quite happy with it. As a support
person who has to configure lots of peoples Hardware and Software, my only
gripe is that it seems to take forever to load (well, 30 seconds at least!)
When people have it in their WIN.INI file it is a real pain to load and unload
windows repeatedly.

We also recently installed Attachmates Lan Gateway, which is accessed with
PCSAs NetBios, and while we have had some teething problems with the Extra!
for DOS workstations, the Extra! for Windows stations haven't had any problems.
(I would have expected it to be the other way round!)

The nice features include resizeable fonts, so you can change the size of your
terminal window, and the Screen Layout option, that allows me to start Extra!
in the .INI file, and still get the Program Manager to come up maximized.
A missing feature, (as far as I can see) is wildcard file transfer.

--
RBYAML@ROHMHAAS.COM                    Aengus Lawlor
RBYAML@ROHVM1.BITNET                   (who used to be ALAWLOR@DIT.IE)
"How about some of that famous Dublin wit, Barman?"
"Certainly, sir. Would that be Dry or Sparkling?"

kevin@msa3b.UUCP (Kevin P. Kleinfelter) (05/24/91)

I've used "Extra!".  It seems to work well enough. They've improved the start
up so that you can click a single icon and get a default terminal session.
To quote someone I worked with in the early days of the IBM PC:

	It's pretty good -- it works.
(The implication being that there is a lot of stuff that doesn't.)
-- 
Kevin Kleinfelter @ DBS, Inc (404) 239-2347   ...gatech!nanoVX!msa3b!kevin

"This product has an intuitive user interface" is equivalent to "We didn't
provide sh** for documentation."

joshua@tc.fluke.COM (John B. "JB" LaRue) (05/29/91)

In article <1991May23.042811.8720@osh3.OSHA.GOV> chip@osh3.OSHA.GOV (Chip Yamasaki) writes:
>In <91141.08385634HLEFG@CMUVM.BITNET> 34HLEFG@CMUVM.BITNET (Mark Strandskov) writes:
>
>>I am looking for a 3270 terminal emulator for Windows 3.0.  It
>>must be able to support a 3270 session across Token Ring and
>>it is preferable, but not a necessity, that it is a Windows
>>application and not a DOS application running under Windows.
>
>We reviewed Extra! for Windows from Attachmate here.  I took a brief
>look at it and didn't care for it although I think the DOS version is
>fine.  In fact, I run the DOS version under Windows/386 (no, not 3.0
>yet) at work daily.  The problems I saw were:
>
>1.  Lots of bugs (I think they are fixed, this was pre-release I think).
>2.  More steps to starting a session (although there are probably macros
>    to automate the process).
>3.  No real advantages (why do character stuff in graphics mode?).
>
>I didn't do the review and probably missed a lot so this really isn't
>fair, but I think the concept of a graphics mode character based
>terminal emulation is somewhat weird, but they do have it.  They have
>probably taken care of all my gripes since they do seem to be a good and
>responsive company.  Like I said, I use their standard DOS package daily
>with no troubles and like it OK, but I really can't get excited about
>anybodys 3270 emulators and I have seen a couple of real loosers.
>
>Hope this helps.
>-- 
>--
>Charles "Chip" Yamasaki
>chip@oshcomm.osha.gov

...I'm not sure how to rate a "rating" like this...You haven't seen it, you
only "heard" how it was reviewed,..."probably". If I were the person looking
for a product and I received a reply like this, I'd want to ring you ears!

Now that this is out of my system, I use Extra! for windows, and have found
it to be a *great* product! I've use the Extra! for dos and liked it enough
to purchase it for windows. Admittedly, version 1 was not exactly bug free,
but the support and upgrade policies are outstanding. Font variability, screen
sizing, printer support, etc. What more could you want? 


-- 
    John LaRue            John Fluke Mfg. Co, Inc.             (206) 356-5753
    joshua@tc.fluke.COM   {uw-beaver,microsoft,sun}!fluke!joshua

dscott@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (Daniel J Scott) (05/29/91)

In article <1991May28.182539.19928@tc.fluke.COM> joshua@tc.fluke.COM (John B. "JB" LaRue) writes:
>[..]                        Admittedly, version 1 was not exactly bug free,
>but the support and upgrade policies are outstanding. Font variability, screen
>sizing, printer support, etc. What more could you want? 

  How about FTP?  Other than QVTnet I haven't seen anything that will
let me ftp from my PC while in windows.

  I have placed the Extra! demo on cica for anyone who wants to take
a look but doesn't want to bother with sales people.  It's in the
uploads directory as extra-demo.zip.

  Dan

--
Dan Scott : NOTIS Tech 1 : dscott@{matt.ksu.edu|ksuvm.{ksu.edu|bitnet}}
Farrell Library, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66502 - 913.532.7461
LYNX - KSU Libraries Online Catalog.  Telnet 129.130.1.10, tn3270 129.130.1.1,
Destination KSUVM, Logon: LYNX, Quit to disconnect.