glosson@mdtf12.fnal.gov (Rich Glosson) (06/08/91)
I've heard that there is a windowing package that is called Geos. Has anyone else heard of it? If so, how do you like it and how much does it cost? Thanks glosson@mdtf12.fnal.gov
n8541751@henson.cc.wwu.edu (Where there is darkness, light) (06/08/91)
glosson@mdtf12.fnal.gov (Rich Glosson) writes: >I've heard that there is a windowing package that is called Geos. >Has anyone else heard of it? If so, how do you like it and how >much does it cost? >Thanks >glosson@mdtf12.fnal.gov Geos is really good. I don't know the cost, but have had a chance to play with it a bit, and find it to be a very will conceived and implemented product. It's GUI has a nice feel too. There aren't alot of applications that run under it yet, but it does come with a basic collection of useful things....probably just a matter of time. It's a really nice system....and you don't have to have gobs of memory to run...even works on an 8088. Kris. -- Kriston M. Bruland | . . . . . . . . . . n8541751@henson.cc.wwu.edu | . . . . . . . . . 8541751@nessie.cc.wwu.edu | . . . . . .
dtaylor@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Douglas A Taylor) (06/08/91)
In article <P534JT!@linac.fnal.gov> glosson@mdtf12.fnal.gov (Rich Glosson) writes: >I've heard that there is a windowing package that is called Geos. >Has anyone else heard of it? If so, how do you like it and how >much does it cost? > >Thanks > >glosson@mdtf12.fnal.gov The windowing package you're referring to is Geoworks Ensemble, by Geoworks. It runs under GEOS (Graphical Environment Operating System, or something like that), which runs on top of DOS. GEOS is much like the Windows environment, except IMHO it's much better. You can do *real* multi-tasking of GEOS apps on anything from an 8088 to a '486. GEOS will run in as little as 512k of memory -- it automatically uses your hard drive as virtual memory. GEOS also has a unified imaging model, meaning that your display always shows exactly what's going to be printed. It has automatic font scaling, so your text is never jagged on screen or in print. GEOS also supports multiple threads, which means, for example, that when you send a document to the Print Manager you get control back immediately so that you can play Klondike or whatever while your document is printing. Windows currently doesn't support multiple threads. And remember, you can do all of this no matter whether you're running an 8088 or a '486. Of course, GEOS runs much faster on a '486 :-). Also, from what I've heard, and from my limited experience, the apps in Geoworks Ensemble are better quality than those bundled with Windows. They include a word processor (GeoWrite), a terminal program (GeoComm), an electronic Rolodex (Geodex), an appointment calendar (GeoPlanner), and a version of Klondike (a solitaire game). One thing I use GEOS for is to keep track of my recipes, which I get from Internet. While I'm downloading one recipe file with GeoComm in one window, I can edit another recipe file using GeoWrite in a second window, cut text from that file and paste it into Geodex in a third window, while I'm printing yet another file. I can't do that on my humble 640k '286 machine with any other package that I know of. GEOS suffers from two deficiencies. First, you can't do multitasking, or even task switching, between GEOS apps and DOS apps, even on a '386. I understand that version 2.0 of GEOS will include task switching. It's due out this fall. Second, GEOS lacks the Win3 marketing juggernaut. With everyone jumping on the Windows bandwagon, there's very little resources left over for GEOS development. Currently there are no third-party GEOS apps out, but the makers of VP Planner are working on a GEOS-based spreadsheet, and Geoworks officials hint of other projects in the planning stages. Take that for what it's worth. In summary, Geoworks Ensemble is a terrific package for anyone who wants to run a multitasking, graphical, WYSIWYG environment on anything less than a '386 and oodles of memory. I've even run Ensemble happily on a '486 with 12 megs of RAM (GEOS will use all the memory you can give it). -- Doug Taylor | Nothing real can be threatened. The Ohio State University | Nothing unreal exists. doug_taylor@osu.edu | - A Course in Miracles
hawat@hawat.abg.sub.org (Andreas Kellner) (06/13/91)
n8541751@henson.cc.wwu.edu (Where there is darkness, light) writes: > > It's a really nice system....and you don't have to have gobs of memory to > run...even works on an 8088. > > Kris. > -- > Kriston M. Bruland | . . . . . . . . . . > n8541751@henson.cc.wwu.edu | . . . . . . . . > 8541751@nessie.cc.wwu.edu | . . . . . . I am working here on a 8088. Windows 3.0 and Winword is running on a 8088, 640kB, too ! (of course Winword is not sooooo fast :-) ). Hawat hawat@hawat.abg.sub.org The probably first Multi-User System in Allgaeu