wnp@iiasa.AT (wolf paul) (08/23/90)
I have both the 286 (2.4) and 386 (3.0.1e) versions of Microport UNIX,
and since the resurrection of Microport Systems I have been wondering
whether they offer an update/upgrade path to System V.4, or even to
System V.3.2.
E-Mail to Rex Core, who occasionally posts to c.u.i386, has brought
no reply.
Can anyone provide some information?
If Microport does not provide such an upgrade/update path, are there
any other vendors of UNIX for the 386 who still have such an offer
for Microport Users?
--
Wolf N. Paul, IIASA, A - 2361 Laxenburg, Austria, Europe
PHONE: +43-2236-71521-465 FAX: +43-2236-71313 UUCP: uunet!iiasa.at!wnp
INTERNET: wnp%iiasa.at@uunet.uu.net BITNET: tuvie!iiasa!wnp@awiuni01.BITNET
* * * * Kurt Waldheim for President (of Mars, of course!) * * * *root@grumbly.UUCP (rb duc) (08/24/90)
wnp@iiasa.AT (wolf paul) writes: >I have both the 286 (2.4) and 386 (3.0.1e) versions of Microport UNIX, >and since the resurrection of Microport Systems I have been wondering >whether they offer an update/upgrade path to System V.4, or even to >System V.3.2. >E-Mail to Rex Core, who occasionally posts to c.u.i386, has brought >no reply. >Can anyone provide some information? >If Microport does not provide such an upgrade/update path, are there >any other vendors of UNIX for the 386 who still have such an offer >for Microport Users? =========================== Sorry about the mail - we are rearranging some of the systems at Microport. The UUCP map entry for uport might also be wrong. I have just sent in an update. The current mail path from uunet is: ...uunet!claris!netcom!uport!whomever I'm sure Rex would have answered your letter had he received it. We're considering connecting to uunet. About the upgrade to VR4 from 3.x - from what I've heard AT&T considers VR4 a new product which needs a new license. I think the chances for an upgrade path to 3.2 are much better. I wish I could give you a more definite answer. I will try to post something more concrete in the next few days. I'll also show Rex your letter. Which vendors were offering an upgrade path for Microport? That was decent of them. Richard Ducoty \\\ - - Richard Ducoty ..uunet!grumbly!root _] Capitola, California root@grumbly.com
randy@rls.UUCP (Randall L. Smith) (08/25/90)
In article <847@iiasa.UUCP>, wnp@iiasa.AT (wolf paul) writes: > I have both the 286 (2.4) and 386 (3.0.1e) versions of Microport UNIX, > and since the resurrection of Microport Systems I have been wondering > whether they offer an update/upgrade path to System V.4, or even to > System V.3.2. Microport will not be offering v3.2, just v4.0 late this year, or IMHO, possibly early next year. But that's it. I can't say about the 286 as I've never asked them. Sorry. Cheers! - randy Usenet: randy@rls.uucp Bangpath: ...<backbone>!osu-cis!rls!randy Internet: rls!randy@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu %CC-I-ANACRONISM, The operator is an obsolete form and may not be portable.
root@grumbly.UUCP (rb duc) (08/27/90)
>Microport will not be offering v3.2, just v4.0 late this year, or IMHO, >possibly early next year. But that's it. ============= Microport is shipping v4.0 *right now* and has been for *over a month*. I wouldn't count out a v3.2 either. \\\ - - Richard Ducoty ..uunet!grumbly!root _] Capitola, California root@grumbly.com
pjh@mccc.uucp (Pete Holsberg) (08/28/90)
In article <152@grumbly.UUCP> root@grumbly.UUCP (rb duc) writes:
=>Microport will not be offering v3.2, just v4.0 late this year, or IMHO,
=>possibly early next year. But that's it.
=
==============
=
=Microport is shipping v4.0 *right now* and has been for *over a month*. I
=wouldn't count out a v3.2 either.
But what Microport *hasn't* done is to contact owners of 3.0e and offer
an inexpensive upgrade to 4.0 (or even to 3.2!). Basically, they've
just ignored us.
Pete
--
Prof. Peter J. Holsberg Mercer County Community College
Voice: 609-586-4800 Engineering Technology, Computers and Math
UUCP:...!princeton!mccc!pjh 1200 Old Trenton Road, Trenton, NJ 08690
Internet: pjh@mccc.edulee@uport.UUCP (Lee Crocker) (08/29/90)
Just to confirm/deny any rumors that may be floating about: Microport is currently shipping an SVR4 developer's release which includes all of the standard SysV stuff plus symbolic links, streams, TCP/IP, NFS, RFS, Xwin/XNeWS, and other stuff. Included in the $2500 is an upgrade to the public release when it becomes available. We are also likely to come out with a release 3.2 product. Can't give any details on that. For specifics call 800-FOR-UNIX or 408-GET-UNIX. -- ----- Lee Crocker, Microport, Inc. | "Question authority. But lee@uport.uucp | raise your hand first." 73407.2030@compuserve.com | --Frank & Ernest
chad@anasaz.UUCP (Chad R. Larson) (08/30/90)
In article <152@grumbly.UUCP> root@grumbly.UUCP (rb duc) writes: +--------------- | Microport is shipping v4.0 *right now* and has been for *over a month*. | I wouldn't count out a v3.2 either. +--------------- I talked to them yesterday. They ("Brian") said there would be an upgrade to SysVr3.2 for the 286 in the future, as the overseas market (which is a big one for their 286 port) wants that more than SysVr4. They have been shipping Release 4.0 for the 386 and 486 for about a month (non-beta versions) and have shipped over 200 copies. They are also shipping SysVr3 for the 386. Also, for the SysV/AT product, a 2.5 update is in the works. It will include SCSI drive support and a more robust VGA driver. -- Chad R. Larson ...{mcdphx,asuvax}!anasaz!chad or chad@anasaz.UUCP Anasazi, Inc. - 7500 North Dreamy Draw Drive, Suite 120, Phoenix, Az 85020 (602) 870-3330 "I read the news today, oh boy!" -- John Lennon
randy@rls.UUCP (Randall L. Smith) (08/30/90)
In article <1990Aug28.014027.969@mccc.uucp>, pjh@mccc.uucp (Pete Holsberg) writes: > In article <152@grumbly.UUCP> root@grumbly.UUCP (rb duc) writes: Actually, I write the => part... but no matter... > =>Microport will not be offering v3.2, just v4.0 late this year, or IMHO, > =>possibly early next year. But that's it. > = > =Microport is shipping v4.0 *right now* and has been for *over a month*. I > =wouldn't count out a v3.2 either. Well, sorta. Microport is offering the straight poop developers systems with *no* enhancements from AT&T. It's just like some other Intel Unix vendors 4.0's right now. The package release is designed to give 4.0 Unix to those that absolutely, positively hafta have it now. Joe User, like myself, would not be pleased with this bare bones release. > But what Microport *hasn't* done is to contact owners of 3.0e and offer > an inexpensive upgrade to 4.0 (or even to 3.2!). Basically, they've > just ignored us. As I said, there will be no 3.2 from Microport. Now they are projecting the normal 4.0 full featured release sometime in the late fall. I already placed my order today. (its about time :-) Cheers! - randy Usenet: randy@rls.uucp Bangpath: ...<backbone>!osu-cis!rls!randy Internet: rls!randy@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu %CC-I-ANACRONISM, The operator is an obsolete form and may not be portable.
rduc@uport.UUCP (Richard Ducoty) (08/30/90)
>Well, sorta. Microport is offering the straight poop developers systems >with *no* enhancements from AT&T. It's just like some other Intel Unix >vendors 4.0's right now. The package release is designed to give 4.0 Unix >to those that absolutely, positively hafta have it now. Joe User, like >myself, would not be pleased with this bare bones release. ================== I think Microport is the only company that will ship to a 'new' customer now. Some just sell to established beta sites. I think many unix users would like v4 as it stands now, plus you get the final cut for free when it's released. >> But what Microport *hasn't* done is to contact owners of 3.0e and offer >> an inexpensive upgrade to 4.0 (or even to 3.2!). Basically, they've >> just ignored us. ===================== You're not being ignored by any means. We think about you every day. There might be an upgrade path to 4 in the coming months, but we can't make any promises right now. >As I said, there will be no 3.2 from Microport. Now they are projecting >the normal 4.0 full featured release sometime in the late fall. I already >placed my order today. (its about time :-) ================= Where did you hear that there will be no 3.2 from Microport?? You're going to like v4 Richard Ducoty -- Richard Ducoty Microport uunet!{amdahl,amdcad}!netcom!uport!rduc Scotts Valley, CA claris!netcom!uport!rduc 408 438-8649
wnp@iiasa.AT (wolf paul) (08/31/90)
In article <2950@anasaz.UUCP> chad@anasaz.UUCP (Chad R. Larson) writes: }In article <152@grumbly.UUCP> root@grumbly.UUCP (rb duc) writes: }+--------------- }| Microport is shipping v4.0 *right now* and has been for *over a month*. }| I wouldn't count out a v3.2 either. }+--------------- }I talked to them yesterday. They ("Brian") said there would be an }upgrade to SysVr3.2 for the 286 in the future, as the overseas market }(which is a big one for their 286 port) wants that more than SysVr4. }They have been shipping Release 4.0 for the 386 and 486 for about a }month (non-beta versions) and have shipped over 200 copies. They are }also shipping SysVr3 for the 386. It would be REALLY USEFUL if someone OFFICIAL from MICROPORT could comment on all this, posting from "uport" so we know it's from the horse's mouth. We've had randy@rls say there will be no 386/3.2, chad@anasaz quoting Brian@Microport as saying there will be a 286/3.2, etc. If Microport does not want to produce a 386/3.2 product, and if AT&T will not allow a discounted upgrade path from V.3 to V.4, they could at least make a bulk purchase of AT&T, Intel or ESIX 3.2 and offer that at a nominal price as an update to their old 3.0e customers. If they are not going to offer any kind of update/upgrade path for owners of their 386/3.0e product, then I personally think that we should all forget about doing business with them. With the exception of a few employees like John Plocher and John Sully, the "old" Microport has never done very much to develop or even retain customer loyalty, and it sounds like the "new" Microport is no better. -- Wolf N. Paul, IIASA, A - 2361 Laxenburg, Austria, Europe PHONE: +43-2236-71521-465 FAX: +43-2236-71313 UUCP: uunet!iiasa.at!wnp INTERNET: wnp%iiasa.at@uunet.uu.net BITNET: tuvie!iiasa!wnp@awiuni01.BITNET * * * * Kurt Waldheim for President (of Mars, of course!) * * * *
brown@vidiot.UUCP (Vidiot) (09/01/90)
In article <334@uport.UUCP> lee@uport.UUCP (Lee Crocker) writes:
<Just to confirm/deny any rumors that may be floating about:
<
<Microport is currently shipping an SVR4 developer's release
<which includes all of the standard SysV stuff plus symbolic
<links, streams, TCP/IP, NFS, RFS, Xwin/XNeWS, and other stuff.
<Included in the $2500 is an upgrade to the public release
<when it becomes available.
<
<We are also likely to come out with a release 3.2 product.
<Can't give any details on that.
<
<For specifics call 800-FOR-UNIX or 408-GET-UNIX.
Is uport thinking about trying to attract us ISC customers that are getting
a little fed up with ISC and their support/software update pricing schedule
by doing a trade-in offer? You know, we send you our ISC disks and you give
us a great price on your software?!?!?
--
harvard\ att!nicmad\ spool.cs.wisc.edu!astroatc!vidiot!brown
Vidiot ucbvax!uwvax..........!astroatc!vidiot!brown
rutgers/ decvax!nicmad/ INET:<@spool.cs.wisc.edu,@astroatc:brown@vidiot>pjh@mccc.uucp (Pete Holsberg) (09/01/90)
In article <339@uport.UUCP> rduc@uport.UUCP (Richard Ducoty) writes:
=>> But what Microport *hasn't* done is to contact owners of 3.0e and offer
=>> an inexpensive upgrade to 4.0 (or even to 3.2!). Basically, they've
=>> just ignored us.
======================
=
=You're not being ignored by any means. We think about you every day.
=There might be an upgrade path to 4 in the coming months, but we can't
=make any promises right now.
It warms my heart that you think about me (us?) every day, :-) But I'd
rather you just sent me a letter saying "Send us your disk #1 from 3.0e
and $300 and we'll send you the basic set of 4.0 binaries". In fact,
what I'd really like is a letter saying, "Since we want to increase
awareness of our existence and you are operating a system seen by many
college students, we would like to give you a complete set of everything
there is to have in SVR4.0." AT&T does it (from time to time), and
Microport is more-or-less trying to get back into the market place. So...
Pete
--
Prof. Peter J. Holsberg Mercer County Community College
Voice: 609-586-4800 Engineering Technology, Computers and Math
UUCP:...!princeton!mccc!pjh 1200 Old Trenton Road, Trenton, NJ 08690
Internet: pjh@mccc.edu Trenton Computer Festival -- 4/20-21/91bill@ssbn.WLK.COM (Bill Kennedy) (09/01/90)
In article <723@vidiot.UUCP> brown@vidiot.UUCP (Vidiot) writes: >In article <334@uport.UUCP> lee@uport.UUCP (Lee Crocker) writes: [ Microport invitation and phone number ... ] > >Is uport thinking about trying to attract us ISC customers that are getting >a little fed up with ISC and their support/software update pricing schedule >by doing a trade-in offer? You know, we send you our ISC disks and you give >us a great price on your software?!?!? >-- >Vidiot ucbvax!uwvax..........!astroatc!vidiot!brown That might sound like a good idea at first glance, it probably sounds pretty good to the "new" Microport. In case anyone has forgotten, I have been one of ISC's more vocal critics, so there's no love lost there either. Let's recall some historical facts for the benefit of the netters who came after ubug's demise. Microport said that they would be the first to ship System V for the '386 and they were true to their word. As best I recall that was the last time they were true to their word and it was too bad, V/386 needed a few more months of work as evidenced by AT&T and ISC's several month delay after Microport started shipping. The Microport effort (I would not call it "product" then, nor will I now) was buggy, unreliable, poorly supported, and Merge had an appetite for super blocks. Merge, even though sold at full retail price, was clearly marked "Beta Test Version", and victims who bought it were sent a letter thanking the "pioneers" (their words) and promising a free upgrade. There was no beta level tech support and when the upgrade was offered it was not free. In 1988 my article described the Microport effort "I would not dignify it by calling it excrement". The software was lousy, support non-existant, and documentation print quality very poor (there was even an apology for that enclosed). For the sake of the discussion let's say that the charlatans have all been replaced, all management and technical attitudes are new. That was, after all what got them their just desserts. Let's also presume (note that _no_ _one_ from Microport has even suggested this) that they'd like to collect some i386 customers by offering a deal. The reincarnated Microport presumably inherited the intellectual property, the buggy code, poor documentation. Such a deal! Do you believe that they went through all of the bug reports and fixed everything? If so, then why no 3.2? Do you believe that they just picked up the buggy code and plastered it over the Vr4 port? Such a deal! If their Merge caper is any precedent then here they go again (at significantly higher prices) selling beta stuff with a promise of a free upgrade. Are you going to go for that? If you are, please send me a blank check, I'll fill in the amount and send you some of my old equipment here, as much as I think is worth what I wrote on your check... I'll try to be fair and wait to see if the leopard has changed it's spots. I'll not accuse the new crew of perpetuating the ethics and attitudes that killed the first Microport and maimed its customers. You'll have a tough time convincing me that the intellectual property has improved with age. The happiest I ever was with V/386 was when the UPS driver carried it away, I'd hide and lock the doors if I thought he might bring me another Microport effort... Caveat emptor isn't enough, you have to push it through banner first onto billboard size paper. I'll grumble and growl about ISC and AT&T but I'll stick with them because their products work. There are quirks and thinks that annoy, but they don't hurt you. I screamed and howled about Microport because they hurt you and laugh about it. -- Bill Kennedy usenet {att,cs.utexas.edu,sun!daver}!ssbn!bill internet bill@ssbn.WLK.COM or attmail!ssbn!bill
randy@rls.UUCP (Randall L. Smith) (09/02/90)
In article <863@iiasa.UUCP>, wnp@iiasa.AT (wolf paul) writes: > It would be REALLY USEFUL if someone OFFICIAL from MICROPORT could > comment on all this, posting from "uport" so we know it's from the > horse's mouth. Agreed. > We've had randy@rls say there will be no 386/3.2, chad@anasaz quoting > Brian@Microport as saying there will be a 286/3.2, etc. My comments were based on information I received from Peter Tostado, the sales manager at Microport. I'm not pretending to represent their views but just my understanding to contribute to uor mutual growth. Additionally, all I care to refer to is the 386 product in this news group. Ah, I see somebody has generously crossposted to the unix pc universe. > If they are not going to offer any kind of update/upgrade path for > owners of their 386/3.0e product, then I personally think that we > should all forget about doing business with them. Forgive my ignorance, and please explain the benefits of an "upgrade path" when 4.0 will deliver all that 3.2 has and more. If its price you're worried about, my guess is it should be announced when the "official" release comes out. Just curious. Cheers! - randy Usenet: randy@rls.uucp Bangpath: ...<backbone>!osu-cis!rls!randy Internet: rls!randy@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu %CC-I-ANACRONISM, The operator is an obsolete form and may not be portable.
rduc@uport.UUCP (Richard Ducoty) (09/02/90)
randy@rls.UUCP (Randall L. Smith) writes: >In article <863@iiasa.UUCP>, wnp@iiasa.AT (wolf paul) writes: >> It would be REALLY USEFUL if someone OFFICIAL from MICROPORT could >> comment on all this, posting from "uport" so we know it's from the >> horse's mouth. >Agreed. I'll try to answer some of these questions, I work at Microport - but I don't determine policy or products. >> We've had randy@rls say there will be no 386/3.2, chad@anasaz quoting >> Brian@Microport as saying there will be a 286/3.2, etc. There is a good possibility of a 386/3.2.2 upgrade and *upgrade path* as for a 286/3.2 ??? not that I know of. You must understand companies don't like to tell the world their game plan. Most companies wouldn't even tell you this much. So until product announcements are actually made - *all* of this is just speculation - and anyone who tries to tell you different is just guessing. >> If they are not going to offer any kind of update/upgrade path for >> owners of their 386/3.0e product, then I personally think that we >> should all forget about doing business with them. Where did you get the idea we wouldn't offer an upgrade path from 3.0 -> 3.2 if 3.2 becomes available? >Forgive my ignorance, and please explain the benefits of an "upgrade path" >when 4.0 will deliver all that 3.2 has and more. If its price you're >worried about, my guess is it should be announced when the "official" >release comes out. Just curious. Some people might not need all the power of 4.0 - version 3.x can still do a lot and it isn't a large as 4.0. If a person were upgrading from 3.0 he could go to 3.2 for less money than 4.0. Richard Ducoty Microport Inc. -- Richard Ducoty Microport uunet!{amdahl,amdcad}!netcom!uport!rduc Scotts Valley, CA claris!netcom!uport!rduc 408 438-8649
wnp@iiasa.AT (wolf paul) (09/05/90)
In article <1990Sep3.211648.7721@maths.tcd.ie> tim@maths.tcd.ie (Timothy Murphy) writes: >In <1737@ssbn.WLK.COM> bill@ssbn.WLK.COM (Bill Kennedy) writes: > > (Bill's comments on Microport deleted -- suffice it to say that > they were not very complimentary. -wnp) > >This is ridiculously unfair. >I've been running Microport Unix V/386 for a couple of years now, >and feel it's a pretty good product -- certainly for the price. >It's not the best Unix I've seen, but it's not the worst either. > ... >Microport is the nearest I've seen to a really cheap home Unix system. But that is exactly where the problem lies: Bill does not use UNIX as a cheap home system, but to conduct a business, which makes reliability and expert support somewhat more crucial. And Microport did not advertise their products as "cheap home systems." I have used Microport's 286 product for five years to run a typesetting operation in six different languages, and have used their 386 product as a home system, and have been reasonably satisfied; but then I didn't use the standard PC com ports, but an intelligent six-port card with third-party drivers, and I didn't do much software development: it was in these two areas that the 286 product stank most: serial drivers, and the C compiler. The serial port problem continued right on into the 386 product. If I had had to rely on either of these, I might share Bill's opinion. -- Wolf N. Paul, IIASA, A - 2361 Laxenburg, Austria, Europe PHONE: +43-2236-71521-465 FAX: +43-2236-71313 UUCP: uunet!iiasa.at!wnp INTERNET: wnp%iiasa.at@uunet.uu.net BITNET: tuvie!iiasa!wnp@awiuni01.BITNET * * * * Kurt Waldheim for President (of Mars, of course!) * * * *