peter@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Peter Wu) (01/25/91)
Hi. First of all, please don't flame me if this is the wrong group to post this to. I'm not sure where I should ask these questions. And if this is the wrong group, please just ignore this message. I'm interested in getting a PC implementation of UNIX, but would like to ask those of you who are running unix on your pc's some questions. Please email directly to me, as I don't want to start flaming wars. I will summarize and post the responses to the net after they stop coming in. My email address is: peter@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu 1) What are the different implementations of UNIX out there for the PC? Can you give me the company that wrote it and its address/telephonenumber/email etc.? Approx. prices would be greatly appreciated as well. 2) Do all/most require at least a 386 (with exception of Coherent for the 286 machines)? I would assume so. 3) Those of you that have used pc unix implementations as well as the new NeXTstations.. how do they compare? Benchmark-wise? Responsiveness-wise? Application-wise? 4) How are the implementations of X-Windows and the various Window Managers? Is the Looking Glass really worth it? Are the various x-windows implementations and window managers really slow? 5) When does Mark Williams expect to have a 386 version of Coherent out? Will it have X-Windows? Will it be compatible with either BSD or System V? 6) Which is better? Dos Merge? VP/ix? other MS-DOS/PC emulations that run under the pc unix's? 7) Is the performance of the particular implementation worth its cost? 8) Those of you who have used PC unices and the new NeXTStep 2.0 on the 040 machines .. which would you get? A PC whether it be a 386 or 486 or would you get a NeXTstation? Why? 9) Should I wait for OSF/1 to come out for the PC world? Should I wait until SCO and the other UNIX companies to settle on a binary standard? 10) What problems have there beeen with UNIX and 486 based machine so far? What motherboards do you guys recommend? How about 386 motherboards? Anything else that you think would be helpful would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. PQ? --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pedro Quien? peter@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu Peter K. Wu ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
melling@cs.psu.edu (Michael D Mellinger) (01/25/91)
In article <1991Jan24.213926.18899@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> peter@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Peter Wu) writes:
Hi.
First of all, please don't flame me if this is the wrong group to post
this to. I'm not sure where I should ask these questions. And if
this is the wrong group, please just ignore this message.
Well, I think you hit about every newgroup you could. I guess you are
using the same tactics that America is using in Iraq: bomb everthing.
From a NeXT user's point of view: Bag the 386 Unix machines, get a
NeXT instead. It's at least as fast as a 486 machine, and it seems to
be as fast as a Sparc Station 1+. For $3500(educational), you get the
machine(Farfegnugen :-) -- spelled wrong, I know) and Unix.
-Mikefischer@iesd.auc.dk (Lars P. Fischer) (01/25/91)
>>>>> On 24 Jan 91 21:39:26 GMT, peter@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Peter Wu) said:
Peter> First of all, please don't flame me if this is the wrong group to post
Peter> this to. I'm not sure where I should ask these questions. And if
Peter> this is the wrong group, please just ignore this message.
OK, no flame. And, not *the* wrong group -- simply far too many.
Anyway, by all means get a NeXT. It's complete, integrated, designed
to be a UNIX box, has *UNIX* applications, etc. No need to put things
together from 27 sources and wondering why it won't work.
As a bonus, it's cheaper than a 386 box and faster than 486 box. Also,
GNU tools and other free software has already been ported, etc, etc.
Just my opinion.
/Lars
--
Lars Fischer, fischer@iesd.auc.dk | Beauty is a French phonetic corruption
CS Dept., Univ. of Aalborg, DENMARK. | - FZeinari@rhi.hi.is (Einar Indridason) (01/26/91)
In article <$77Gx-=5@cs.psu.edu> melling@cs.psu.edu (Michael D Mellinger) writes: >From a NeXT user's point of view: Bag the 386 Unix machines, get a >NeXT instead. It's at least as fast as a 486 machine, and it seems to >be as fast as a Sparc Station 1+. For $3500(educational), you get the >machine(Farfegnugen :-) -- spelled wrong, I know) and Unix. > >-Mike To continue the discussion about NeXT. Does the NeXT support character that have the 8th bit set? (would it support Icelandic, where we *need* 10 extra lower case characters and 10 extra upper case characters in addition to the 'standard ASCII' (insert evil grin here) ?) I have heard that the NeXT doesn't support the 8th bit. Is that true? (and if that is true, then CENSORED CENSORED CENSORED CENSORED CENSORED CENSORED CENSORED CENSORED CENSORED CENSORED CENSORED CENSORED CENSORED CENSORED CENSORED CENSORED CENSORED CENSORED CENSORED CENSORED CENSORED (a whole lot of cursing. :-| -- Internet: einari@rhi.hi.is | "Just give me my command line and drag UUCP: ..!mcsun!isgate!rhi!einari | the GUIs to the waste basket!!!!" Surgeon Generals warning: Masking the 8th bit can seriously damage your brain!!
melling@cs.psu.edu (Michael D Mellinger) (01/27/91)
In article <2676@krafla.rhi.hi.is> einari@rhi.hi.is (Einar Indridason) writes:
To continue the discussion about NeXT. Does the NeXT support character that
have the 8th bit set?
(would it support Icelandic, where we *need* 10 extra lower case characters and
10 extra upper case characters in addition to the 'standard ASCII' (insert
evil grin here)
?)
I have heard that the NeXT doesn't support the 8th bit. Is that true?
Version 2.0 of the operating system does, and it's shipping on all new
machines so it's not vaporware.
-Mikemelling@cs.psu.edu (Michael D Mellinger) (01/28/91)
In article <BROWN.91Jan27140411@hydra2a.cs.utk.edu> brown@cs.utk.edu (Lance A. Brown) writes:
All the new machines are now shipping with a 3.5" disk drive also. The 2.0
OS will read all the common MS-DOS and Mac 3.5" disk formats on this drive
as well as the Unix filesystems it can install. It does all this
automagically. Just insert the disk and it determines the format and
interfaces to it properly.
You have to buy 3rd party software to read/write Mac diskettes. It
will read/write DOS disks right out of the box, though.
-Mike