shaulm@CS.TECHNION.AC.IL (Shaul Markovitch) (05/01/91)
I ran across an extremely interesting announcment of a product which allows execution of Mac application from X workstations. If this product works smoothly and doesn't cost too much it can save me the need for buying large screen for my SE30 - I can just use my large SUN screen. (Actually, people with X workstation can probably just buy a screenless mac). I would also be nice to be able to move information easily between the two machines using cut and paste (without the need for FTP). Now, this sounds too good. Does anybody have experience with that product that can be shared with us? Below is the product announcment Shaul Markovitch, Technion, Haifa, Israel shaulm@cs.technion.ac.il ----------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Running Macintosh Apps on X Workstations From: dano@sparky.IMD.Sterling.COM (Dan Sedlacek) Newsgroups: comp.newprod Organization: Sterling Software, Bellevue, NE. product name is XPort, and a description of it follows: Product Description Perfect Products' new XPort package turns the Apple Macintosh into an X Window System Client. Adding XPort to your X Windows environment now makes it possible to execute all Macintosh O/S applications (such as Excel, Hypercard, Microsoft Word, etc.) from any X workstation or X terminal. It is compatable with all workstations (IBM, SUN, DEC, HP, etc.) that support X Windows via TCP/IP. XPort Features: o The only X Windows System Client available for the native Macintosh operating system. o Allows any X server workstation user to execute Macintosh applications. o Lets users cut and paste text between X and Macintosh applications. o Conforms to all releases of the X Windows System software. o Works with MOTIF, Open Windows, DEC Windows and other common window managers. o Supports the Macintosh's local or network printers and disks. o Supports any monochrome display on the Macintosh. o Supports Apple's MacTCP networking software. To use XPort, you telnet into the Macintosh and logon just like any other system. The Macintosh screen appears on your workstation and you can run it just like any other X client application. No workstation software is required (other than telnet and X11 server capabilities). XPort is available now from: Perfect Products 1015 Creighton Rd Papillion, NE 68128 (402) 339-5507 -- ================================================ Shaul Markovitch, Computer Science Department Technion - Israel Institute of Technology Csnet: shaulm@cs.technion.ac.il Bitnet: shaulm@techsel
lloyd@aplcen.apl.jhu.edu (Lloyd W. Taylor) (05/01/91)
shaulm@CS.TECHNION.AC.IL (Shaul Markovitch) writes: >I ran across an extremely interesting announcment of a product >which allows execution of Mac application from X workstations. >If this product works smoothly and doesn't cost too much it >can save me the need for buying large screen for my SE30 - >I can just use my large SUN screen. (Actually, people with >X workstation can probably just buy a screenless mac). >I would also be nice to be able to move information easily >between the two machines using cut and paste (without the need for FTP). >Now, this sounds too good. Does anybody have experience with that >product that can be shared with us? We bought a copy and tried it out. It does work as advertised. There are a couple of things to be aware of: 1. Only one person can be 'logged in' to the Mac at a time. You cannot run multiple simultaneous users. In addition, XPort "takes over" your Mac, disabling the local screen and keyboard. 2. It is an *incredible* network hog. For one Mac to one X server, it used up approximately 20% of an ethernet. I shudder to think what would happen if it were used across our backbone by more than a couple of people at a time. We're keeping it around as an interesting solution to a certain class of problems. If you do use it, be prepared to put your Mac and X Server on a private ethernet, as the bandwidth requirements are very high. -- Lloyd Taylor
sendall@vsoc43cern.ch (Mike Sendall) (05/02/91)
According to the vendors, XPort costs $495 per Macintosh. I will probably try it out.