gnu@hoptoad.uucp (John Gilmore) (12/09/89)
In article <5fLz02oD72dj01@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com> aksegu@uts.amdahl.com (Ashok Kumar A. Segu) writes: > I was going thru the SPARCserver family specifications (technical > brochure) ans saw that the WINDOW SYSTEM that SUN supports is > OpenWindows. This was also reiterated by Mr. Scott McNealy and Mr. Eric > Schmidt at the introduction of SPACRCserver 1 and 490 on Dec.6th. > > Guess what folks, the SYSTEM SOFTWARE does not include OpenWindows, > but includes SunView. rogern@sun.com (Roger Nolan, Product Marketing Manager--Windows) wrote: > This sounds like a misunderstanding. The OpenWindows Developers Release > 1.0 is supported and shipping on SPARC systems. No, this sounds like deliberate evasion. All the Sun press releases and speeches and brochures and stuff talk about Open Windows as if it was real, but Sun still ships the old SunView stuff and doesn't ship Open Windows *with the system*. Calling it a "Developers Release, SPARC Only" would be fine -- just stop telling the press and the customers that Sun is 100% behind Open Windows, leaving them with an ugly surprise when the system arrives. Also, I thought the Intel and Motorola ports would be out in October: > From: rprobst@SUN.COM (Richard Probst) > Newsgroups: comp.windows.x > Subject: Sun ships OpenWindows > Message-ID: <8909270029.AA26500@paba.sun.com> > Date: 27 Sep 89 00:29:27 GMT > > Sun is now shipping OpenWindows 1.0 on SPARC machines. Sun-3 and Sun386i > versions will start shipping in 30 days. > > OWN-1.0-4-4-5 SPARC -- Doc and Media $ 295 ND ** 9/25/89 > OWN-1.0-4-3-5 Sun-3 -- Doc and Media 295 ND ** 10/25/89 > OWN-1.0-4-R-5 386i -- Doc and Media 295 ND ** 10/25/89 (Note the dates in the last column.) > This means that you can buy one copy of the media and > documentation and run it on as many Sun workstations as you like. Oh, really? Can I upload it to uunet and let anybody FTP it or uucp it from there? Can I put it on the Sun User Group tape? Can I send it to the guy in Europe who is getting a runaround from his sales office but keeps seeing postings from other people who have it? If so, why didn't Sun just do all this stuff? Or simply put it on the next &%^$ Unix release! > At the current time, OpenWindows is a Developers Release. We are not > recommending it to the general end user community at this time. As a > result, SunView is still bundled with all of our systems and is the > default window system for Sun workstations. And with this policy, it sure will stay that way. Imagine you are a software developer. Let's say you port your first Sun product to Open Windows. The customers start to buy it. You ship them copies. Then: "What do you mean I can't run it? I have to buy Open Windows from Sun? You've ordered things from Sun before, it will take weeks just to get my sales rep to return a call, since I only bought three workstations. Howabout I just send back your software?" Will OpenWindows be bundled in SunOS 4.1, or will we have the same story for another whole year? -- John Gilmore {sun,pacbell,uunet,pyramid}!hoptoad!gnu gnu@toad.com Just say *yes* to drugs. Use your *no*s for government bullshit.
barnett@crdgw1.crd.ge.com (Bruce Barnett) (12/14/89)
In article <9236@hoptoad.uucp>, gnu@hoptoad (John Gilmore) writes: >Will OpenWindows be bundled in SunOS 4.1, or will we have the same >story for another whole year? Well, from what I hear, the alpha/beta test time for SunOS is HUGE! By separating window stuff from SunOS, we might see new releases of SunView and OpenLook before we see SunOS 4.1. Sure enough, I just got the following message: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUN INTRODUCES NEW EASY-TO-USE TOOLS FOR DESKSET SunFLASH Vol 12 #1 December 1989 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Free Right-To-Use License Included With All Sun Workstations MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. --December 5, 1989-- Sun Microsystems today introduced an enhanced release of the DeskSet(TM) environment, a suite of easy-to-use, window-based tools built around the OPEN LOOK(TM) graphical user interface. Four new tools bring the DeskSet 1.0 total to 12 making this the most extensive set of tools available on workstations today. Sun also announced that a free right-to-use license for DeskSet 1.0 is now included with all Sun workstations. These "essential" tools such as a file manager and mail tool make the UNIX(R) operating system simpler, replacing the keying in of commands with the point and click of a mouse. Additionally, the tools can be run in a 2-D or 3-D mode. DeskSet 1.0 will be of particular interest to independent software developers who use the SunView(TM) window system, since the new release enables them to add "drag and drop" functionality to their SunView applications. Until now, DeskSet has only been available for X-based applications. DeskSet was first released in April as a part of the OpenWindows(TM) application environment, built on the X11/NeWS(TM) window system. The new release includes four new tools: a calendar manager, print tool, tape tool and calculator, in addition to the original tools: file manager, mail tool, text editor, binder, icon editor, snapshot tool, performance meters and clock. All 12 tools utilize the "drag and drop" method of directly manipulating visual objects with a mouse, making work very fast and intuitive. The New Tools: Calendar manager simplifies appointment and resource scheduling, notifying the user of scheduled one-time or ongoing meetings, visually or via sound; Print tool enables users to simply "drag and drop" an icon with a mouse to print documents or mail messages; Tape tool provides an easy way to read, write or list data from a local or remote tape drive; Calculator is programmable for algebraic, scientific and logic mathematical functions. Availability The DeskSet 1.0 tool suite will be available during the first quarter of 1990. A right-to-use license is free with every Sun workstation shipped; tape and documentation are $295. The suite is available on all Sun platforms and requires only 4 megabytes of memory. Sun Microsystems, Inc., headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., is a leading worldwide supplier of network-based distributed computing systems, including professional workstations, servers and UNIX operating system and productivity software. ### OpenWindows, SunView and DeskSet are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. UNIX is a registered trademark and OPEN LOOK is a trademark of AT&T. All other products or services mentioned in this document are identified by the trademarks or service marks of their respective companies or organizations. For reader inquiries, telephone 1-800-821-4643 outside California. Inside California, call 1-800-821-4642. Press Contact: Cathy Garfield (415) 336-6536 -- Bruce G. Barnett <barnett@crd.ge.com> uunet!crdgw1!barnett