[comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc] GEM Desktop

jdd@db.toronto.edu (John DiMarco) (01/04/91)

GEM, if I recall correctly, was Digital Research's answer to the Mac
interface. It ran on PCs and Atari STs. It certainly appears to be
extensively used in the ST world, but I've seen very little news about
it in the PC world. Is anyone out there using GEM on PCs? 
Is there any PC GEM software floating around? (Ftp sites, for example?)

John
--
John DiMarco                   jdd@db.toronto.edu or jdd@db.utoronto.ca
University of Toronto, CSRI    BITNET: jdd%db.toronto.edu@relay.cs.net
(416) 978-8609                 UUCP: uunet!utai!db!jdd

sire@PacBell.COM (Sheldon Rothenburg) (01/04/91)

In article <91Jan3.122458est.259@ois.db.toronto.edu> jdd@db.toronto.edu (John DiMarco) writes:
>GEM, if I recall correctly, was Digital Research's answer to the Mac
>interface. It ran on PCs and Atari STs. It certainly appears to be
>extensively used in the ST world, but I've seen very little news about
>it in the PC world. Is anyone out there using GEM on PCs? 

It is used as the foundation of the user interface in Xerox's popular
PC desktop publishing software package "Ventura Publisher".

Shelley

finfrock@ncis.tis.llnl.gov (Scott Finfrock) (01/04/91)

In article <91Jan3.122458est.259@ois.db.toronto.edu> jdd@db.toronto.edu (John DiMarco) writes:
>GEM, if I recall correctly, was Digital Research's answer to the Mac
>interface. It ran on PCs and Atari STs. It certainly appears to be
>extensively used in the ST world, but I've seen very little news about
>it in the PC world. Is anyone out there using GEM on PCs? 

I have it as well as GEM DRAW.  They came bundled with my AT about
2 years ago.  I don't use it, its like a Mac, only worse :-).


-- 
       					  -Scott Finfrock-

My E-mail address is:  finfrock@ncis.tis.llnl.gov
But actually I'm in:   Richland, Washington

powsner@csb1.nlm.nih.gov (Seth M Powsner) (01/05/91)

I use GEM Desktop and GEM Draw quite a bit. Others in my office group
have gotten good use out of GEM WordChart and GEM Graph. There's not
much GEM Shareware (though there may be more in Europe and more for the
Atari). Best place for info is the DRI (Digital Research Inc) support
forum on CompuServe. Can also try the Atari ST related forums (Usenet
and CompuServe). Best catalog is from Digital Research (UK) Limited,
Oxford House, Oxford Street, NEWBURY, Berks RG131JB, UK, phone 44 635 35304
The US Hq is DRI, 60 Garden CT, PO Box DRI, Monterey, CA 93942.

Main reason we use GEM is that it gives quite acceptable performance on
plain old XT's with Hercules Graphic cards (and tolerable appearance on
even CGA displays). It can be used as a graphical shell to regular DOS
programs (double click a WordPerfect file and end up in WP with it loaded).
Allows technophobes to survive in a MS-DOS work environment if you add
a mouse package including pop-up menus and Extended Batch Language.
The plain Desktop is probably going for <=$50.

I've actually developed some GEM software using TurboC and the GEM
Developer's Kit (about $500). Not easy, but not as tough as Windows from
the reports I've read. AND, the final program can run on simple PC's.
My impression is that if you like programming for Xwindows or the Mac
you won't mind GEM too much. A >=12mHz AT makes a fine development system.
Can develop packages for Atari ST if you're inclined.

Hope that answers your questions. 
---Seth M Powsner  powsner@nlm.nih.gov powsner@yalemed.bitnet

bruceh@servprod.inel.gov (Bruce Hiltbrand) (03/01/91)

Does anyone know where on can get desk accessory type programs for
GEM Desktop? I have version 2.1. Also, I would like to know how to install
the accessory once I get it. Thanks in advance.
Anyone with any information can e-mail me at bruceh@pmafire.inel.gov
Use of the reply commands will bounce because of my server, so the above 
address needs to be used.

Bruce Hiltbrand (bruceh@pmafire.inel.gov)

chien@wam.umd.edu (Minze V. Chien) (03/04/91)

In article <1991Mar01.074112.7556@pmafire.inel.gov> bruceh@servprod.inel.gov (Bruce Hiltbrand) writes:
>Does anyone know where on can get desk accessory type programs for
>GEM Desktop? 
...

I would like to know this info too.  (I have version 3 GEM)

BTW, is it possible to convert .GEM files to .PCX or .TIF (or other
graphic format ) files?  I have IMG2PCX.EXE came with the package, but
it doesn't recognize .GEM files.  If possible, I'd like to convert
GEM Draw Plus files to any popular format to be included in Lotus
Menuscript.  Thanks for any help.



-- 
..............................................................................
Minze V. Chien, Dept. of Electrical Engineering, U. of Maryland, College Park
Internet:chien@wam.umd.edu mvc@eng.umd.edu BITNET: CHIEN@UMDC SPAN: IAF::CHIEN

mir@opera.chorus.fr (Adam Mirowski) (03/04/91)

In article <1991Mar3.215413.16325@wam.umd.edu>, chien@wam.umd.edu
(Minze V. Chien) writes:
%% In article <1991Mar01.074112.7556@pmafire.inel.gov> bruceh@servprod.inel.gov 
%% (Bruce Hiltbrand) writes:
%% >Does anyone know where on can get desk accessory type programs for
%% >GEM Desktop? 
%%
%% I would like to know this info too.  (I have version 3 GEM)
%% 
%% BTW, is it possible to convert .GEM files to .PCX or .TIF (or other
%% graphic format ) files?  I have IMG2PCX.EXE came with the package, but
%% it doesn't recognize .GEM files.  If possible, I'd like to convert
%% GEM Draw Plus files to any popular format to be included in Lotus
%% Menuscript.  Thanks for any help.

.GEM files are vector format files, not raster/bitmap ones like .PCX
or .TIF.  So you cannot "convert" them without losing on the resolution.

.GEM files are probably GEM system metafiles, i.e. are direct GEM
graphic commands encoded in a binary form. To convert them to another
"vector" format is pretty complicated. To convert them to a bitmap, you
would need to reimplement the whole GEM graphics. To avoid this one
could write a GEM application that draws the metafile on the screen,
then takes a bitmap (.IMG) snapshot.

It is possible that the utilities provided with Ventura could do the job.
Ventura by itself converts to .GEM or to .IMG all the formats it accepts,
according to their type. As .GEM is a metafile, it is then pretty staight-
forward to display them on screen... :-)
-- 
Adam Mirowski,  mir@chorus.fr (FRANCE),  tel. +33 (1) 30-64-82-00 or 74
Chorus systemes, 6, av.Gustave Eiffel, 78182 Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines CEDEX