tneff@bfmny0.UU.NET (Tom Neff) (03/29/90)
I sometimes wonder how many people who think Locus Merge is so much better than VP/ix are actually comparing the *286* VP/ix to the *386* Merge. I have found VP/ix 386 to be extremely robust and amenable to new hardware through its DDA configuration system. And the comm ports work at 9600 almost anytime (if I start another DOS job they do slow down). I'm sure there's *something* only Merge allows -- there usually is, and vice versa -- but neither one's a shoddy product. -- Perestroika: could \O\ Tom Neff it happen here? \O\ uunet.uu.net!bfmny0!tneff
stickler@cc.helsinki.fi (03/29/90)
You should seriously look at SCO Open Desktop which uses a modified version of Merge386 (although I don't know exactly how it's modified). ODT (Open DeskTop) allows DOS applications running under Merge386 to directly access (and configure) specified devices (i.e. card slots). I've used VP/ix alot and do not particularly like it because it is very fragile and fussy about *anything* out of the ordinary. Merge386 handles comm ports, disk drives, and other devices much more transparently and elegantly. It's also very robust (I run MS-Windows under it!). It has already been mentioned that Merge386 has one less that optimum area of performance - that with comm port speed. Using any of the serial ports under Merge means baud =< 1200 with no exceptions. Still, it's manageable, and I know of NO other DOS emulator which comes remotely close to SCO's Merge with regards to reliability and transparency. The only single drawback to Open Desktop is that it is new, and (although fairly reliable) still has some kinks. More specifically, the run time package is fairly solid, but the development system is still beta (if you can even get it) so compiling software is somewhat of an adventure. Still, this is a *great* product and surely will have a bright future. (no, I don't work for SCO...nor do I have any hidden vested interests - just a happy customer). Check it out! ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Patrick Stickler University of Helsinki stickler@hylka.helsinki.fi (BIX: stickler) Nokia Research Center stickler@pepper.rc.nokia.fi ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
root@gold.UUCP (Christian Seyb) (04/03/90)
tneff@bfmny0.UU.NET (Tom Neff) writes: >I sometimes wonder how many people who think Locus Merge is so much >better than VP/ix are actually comparing the *286* VP/ix to the *386* >Merge. I have found VP/ix 386 to be extremely robust and amenable I am using VP/ix together with ISC 2.0.2. I totally agree with you - VP/ix is a very stable product. I even use Windows 86 and GEM on top of VP/ix. I never ran into a problem. The only detail which is better implemented in Merge is printing. You have to either exit VP/ix or to explicitly flush the printer to start printing. Merge did allow a configurable timeout. This allowed printing to start after timeout seconds of no characters received. I hope ISC reads this and considers implementing it. regards Christian
ts@cup.portal.com (Tim W Smith) (04/07/90)
DOS under Unix on the 286 is very different from DOS under Unix on the 386. It is not at all surprising that a company such as AT&T would chose one company to supply their 286 product and another for their 386 product. Besides, different companies did the original ports. V.2 for the 286 was done by DRI, with Locus doing the DOS support. V.3 for the 386 was done by INTERactive and Intel, with INTERactive doing the DOS support. ( V.3 for the 286 was also done by INTERactive, but everyone involved ( INTERactive, Intel, and AT&T ) came to their senses and realized that the world would be a better place if V.3 stayed off the 286 ). So why shouldn't different companies have done the DOS emulators? Tim Smith
support@ism780c.isc.com (Support account) (04/10/90)
In article <490@gold.UUCP> root@gold.UUCP (Christian Seyb) writes: >The only detail which is better implemented in Merge is printing. You >have to either exit VP/ix or to explicitly flush the printer to start >printing. Merge did allow a configurable timeout. This allowed printing >to start after timeout seconds of no characters received. > The new VP/ix, included with 386/ix V2.2 available in May 1990, includes a time configurable printer autoflush option. The VP/ix configuration file now contains an autoflush feature which, if configured, will cause the printer to automatically flush the print buffer every 20 seconds, or at an interval set by the user. Also, printer performance in general, for DOS applications which go through the BIOS for printing, has been significantly improved. ....
les@chinet.chi.il.us (Leslie Mikesell) (04/11/90)
In article <41081@ism780c.isc.com> support@ism780c.UUCP (Support account) writes: >The new VP/ix, included with 386/ix V2.2 available in May 1990, >includes a time configurable printer autoflush option. The VP/ix >configuration file now contains an autoflush feature which, if >configured, will cause the printer to automatically flush the print >buffer every 20 seconds, or at an interval set by the user. Will it also flush when an application closes the lpt: device as most lan-aware programs do these days? Will it support netbios file-locking etc. when multiple copies are running in the same machine? Les Mikesell les@chinet.chi.il.us
dave@pmafire.UUCP (Dave Remien) (04/11/90)
In article <41081@ism780c.isc.com> support@ism780c.UUCP (Support account) writes:
+>The new VP/ix, included with 386/ix V2.2 available in May 1990,
+>includes a time configurable printer autoflush option. The VP/ix
+>configuration file now contains an autoflush feature which, if
+>configured, will cause the printer to automatically flush the print
+>buffer every 20 seconds, or at an interval set by the user.
Just flushing the printer queue every twenty seconds, or some other time
interval isn't what's really needed, though.
What's needed is to flush the queue after 20 seconds (or some other
configurable time limit) of *non-activity*. Suppose you've got Ventura
blowing a forty page document to a laser, with lots of pretty pictures.
If the queue gets flushed every twenty seconds, you'll probably get
about half the first page out, and then about a half page every twenty
seconds or so, but not quite what you wanted. I hope support@ism780c
just stated how it worked incorrectly, 'cause what they say they're
going to deliver isn't what's needed.
--
Dave Remien +*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+ WINCO Computer Engineering Group
{uunet|bigtex}!pmafire!dave or rzd@inel.gov "Dave Barry for President" support@ism780c.isc.com (Support account) (04/12/90)
In article <1990Apr10.191138.663@chinet.chi.il.us> les@chinet.chi.il.us (Leslie Mikesell) writes: >In article <41081@ism780c.isc.com> support@ism780c.UUCP (Support account) writes: >>The new VP/ix, included with 386/ix V2.2 available in May 1990, >>includes a time configurable printer autoflush option. The VP/ix >Will it also flush when an application closes the lpt: device as >most lan-aware programs do these days? Will it support netbios >file-locking etc. when multiple copies are running in the same machine? > Neither of these features is supported in the next VP/ix. ....
support@ism780c.isc.com (Support account) (04/12/90)
In article <1990Apr11.040603.9697@pmafire.UUCP> dave@pmafire.UUCP (Dave Remien) writes: >Just flushing the printer queue every twenty seconds, or some other time >interval isn't what's really needed, though. > The printer autoflushing, if configured, will automatically flush data from the print buffer whenever the printer is idle for a specified period of time. ....