mikel@teda.UUCP (Mikel Lechner) (01/17/91)
As I promised just before Christmas, here is a list of PC and MS Windows based X Windows servers. I am still interested in receiving information on PC X Windows servers. If you have information on products not mentioned here, please E-mail me. Shortly after I sent out my request for information someone pointed out that there is an FAQ that covers this question. This FAQ is posted regularly to the following newsgroups: comp.windows.x ba.windows.x comp.windows.misc comp.windows.x.motif. To provide a more complete listing of products, I have included the relevent portion of the FAQ posting at the end of this message. The rest of this message is a summary of my own research into PC-based X Windows servers. Some of my information duplicates the FAQ, but my information is more current and more complete. I plan to evaluate two or three of these products over the next few weeks and will send a copy (of the evluation) to anyone who requests it. If there is enough interest I will also post my findings. Someone mentioned to me that UnixWorld magazine did some reviews on X servers for PC, so I looked and found it. The November 1990 issue of UnixWorld does indeed contain an evaluation of three PC X products on pages 113-118. The products are: Xvision, PX-Xview, and PC-Xsight. Here is a summary of this evaluation: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All of the evaluated systems packages require at least an AT class machine, and recommend 386 class machines. All require TCP/IP ethernet software which is not included. PC-Xview (Graphics Software Systems (503) 641-2200): This was the easiest to install. Memory: 640K, more is recommended. Disk: 3.5M Displays: EGA, VGA (800 x 600), DGIS (2048 x 1500). Environment: DOS 3.2 Extras: TFTP, TCP print service, rsh, xterm Compatible: QEMM, Compaq's CEMM Price: $395 PC-Xsight (Locus Computing (213) 670-6500): Somewhat slower than PC-Xview and more difficult to install, but has more features. Memory: 640K, more is better. Disk: 1M Displays: more devices and resolutions than PC-Xview. Environment: DOS 3.2 Extras: telnet, rsh/rexec, xcall/xanswer Price: $425 Xvision (VisionWare Ltd. (distributed by UniPress in US) (800) 222-0550): Considered the best of these three. Can run a remote window manager or allow MS Windows to manage the window (the latter performs much better). Device independent, since these are handled by MS Windows. Memory: 640K, more is better. Disk: not specified Displays: whatever MS Windows supports Environment: MS Windows 3.0 Extras: cut/paste w/ MS Windows Price: $449 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is some product information I obtained from advertisements and phone calls made to some of the product vendors. DesqView X (QuarterDeck (213) 392-9851): As someone pointed out to me there was a booklet on this product in Dr Dobb's (January 1990, pg 48) and I found it also in a recent issue of Byte (December or January). Look for a booklet in these and other magazines; it's quite informative. This product runs on a PC under MS DOS as part of DesqView. In addition to X Windows support, the DesqView product brings multitasking to DOS. The X Windows portion of the product is not available at this time, but is scheduled for release in 2Q91. If Quarterdeck delivers all that they promise this should be a very interesting product. I would like to evaluate this product, but it may not be available in time for my needs. X11/AT (Integrated Inference Machines 714-978-6201): This product runs under MS Windows 3.0. They recommend that you have 4M of memory (2M for Windows and 2M for X11R3). They plan to support X11R4 in the next few months. The product also requires a compatible TCP/IP product. Some of the suported TCP/IPs include Execelan's TCP/IP, FTP Inc PC/TCP, and PC-NFS. This product runs X11R3 Windows inside a single MS Windows window. This single window serves a the X Windows display. So of course your X window manager and all you X windows will operate inside this window. The product supports cut/paste operations between X and the MS windows environments. The salesperson I talked to was very helpful and informative. I plan to evaluate this product myself and will report on the results to anyone interested. Pathworks (Digital Equipment Corporation (617) 273-6416): This is a X Windows PC product for DECnet systems. It speaks DECwindows with Vax/VMS systems. It also supports TCP/IP for connecting to Ultrix systems. It also supports printers via LAT services and has some network file access. Software can be remotely loaded from VMS server (saves PC disk space). I plan to get a copy of this product to evaluate. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here are some of the comments I've received from the net on some of X11 PC products. eXceed Plus (Hummingbird Communications, Canada 416-470-1203): Runs on PC DOS with EGA/VGA/VGA+ displays. I've had one report of problems getting this product to work with Open Look on Sun Clients. No specifics on the problem however. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is the included information on PC DOS and MS Windows based X servers from the FAQ mentioned above: This is one of the Frequently asked questions... Subject: 25) Where can I get an X server on a PC? AGE (619-565-7373) offers the XoftWare TIGA. Bell Technologies (Fremont, CA: 415-659-9097) PC DECWindows a.k.a. the PC DECWindows Display Facility is an MS-DOS application that turns your PC into an X11R3 terminal. It supports DECnet. Available from DEC. [Dennis Giokas (giokas@mosaic.enet.dec.com), 3/90] Graphic Software Systems (GSS) (503-641-2200) makes PC-Xview, an MSDOS-based X server which interfaces with PC/TCP Plus networking software from FTP Software and Excelan's LAN WorkPlace for DOS. The server works with (a) 286, 386, 486 (b) EGA, VGA, DGIS displays. (c) DOS 3.2 and above (d) Microsoft, Logitech, Mouse Systems Mice (e) 640k memory up to 16 MB memory [the PC-Xview/16 is available for PCs with extended memory]. HP (800-752-0900) has the "HP Accelerated X Window Display Server" (HP AXDS/PC; HP part D2300B) which will run on any AT-class DOS machine with 640KB, MSDOS 3.1 or higher, and the HP Intelligent Graphics Controller 10 card, to which the X11R3-based server is downloaded (avoiding performance-limitations from PC RAM-size and processor speed). [from John Kempff (kempff@hppad.hp.com), 3/90] Hummingbird Communications (Canada 416-470-1203) produces the HCL-eXceed and HCL-eXceed Plus for EGA, VGA, and VGA+ controllers. Information Network Solutions also offers a product called HCL-eXceed for the *86. The fax is 02-4122079 inside Australia, 612-4122079 from overseas. Integrated Inference Machines (714-978-6201 or -6776) is shipping X11/AT, an X server that runs under MS-windows. The server converts an IBM-AT into an X terminal which can simultaneously run MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows applications. Intelligent Decisions, Inc. (Sunnyvale, CA: 408-734-3730) IBM is rumored to offer a product; part #5709-029. Locus Computing (800-955-6287; CA: 213-670-6500; UK: +44 296 89911) has a server called PC-Xsight which also appears in Acer's X terminal. Pericom's TeemTalk-X for IBM clones allows toggling between X and DOS. Information: +44 (0908) 560022. [5/90] DESQview/X from Quarterdeck (?) incorporates X into the DESQview multi-tasking DOS environment. VisionWare's XVision is a Microsoft Windows-based X server which allows an IBM-compatible PC or PS/2 to display X clients running on a networked computer at the same time as local DOS programs. VisionWare is at 612-377-3627 or vision@vware.mn.org (UK: +44 532 788858 and vware@vision.uucp). Xnth is an implementation of X11 R4 which runs on AT-bus PCs running DOS 3.3 or higher. It currently supports 1280X1024 or 1024X768 resolution monitors at 256 colors (out of 16M) with hardware accelleration for graphics and text operations. It currently utilizes a TCP/IP byte stream over Ethernet. Information: George MacDonald, Nth Graphics, Ltd., 1-800-624-7552. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information provided here was gathered from a number of sources. I've referenced those sources where possible. I've tried to make the information as accurate as possible, but I cannot guarantee its accuracy. Use it as a reference only. I will gladly accept corrections or additions to this information. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Mikel Lechner UUCP: teda!mikel Teradyne EDA, Inc. 5155 Old Ironsides Drive | If you explain so clearly that nobody Santa Clara, Ca 95054 | can misunderstand, somebody will.