evil@arcturus.uucp (Wade Guthrie) (11/07/90)
Gregory Ramsey writes: > Does anybody have a comprehensive list of vendors for UN*X (all > flavors) for 386/486 platforms. Glad you asked. . .looks like it's time to do this again Okay, here is a repost/summary of the responses to the "which Unix" question we're all so tired of seeing. I have received a few responses, and they have been incorporated here. I (will always) feel that the description is still insufficient, so I again ask for updates. Please feel free to follow-up or reply with changes. Guys! Gals! If you have an ammendment to this strawman -- **SEND IT** I IMPLORE you. I invite vendors to add to the advantages of their own product (and other people's products, if they wish). I propose the following: ---------------------- KEY: Price: should be the price for which the company itself sells the product (street prices may be lower), but no guarantee that this is not the street price. Only a 2-user price is provided for most. (base) This is the price for a runtime system (development) This is the price for the C compiler, etc. Each vendor may treat this a little differently. (text) This is the price for nroff, etc. (complete) This is the price for the whole shebang. It is only presented when the others are not offered separately. Minimum Config: represents the hardware needed to support operation of this software product. Alternates are presented in parenthesis, recommended expansions on the minimum are noted by "rec." in parens. For example, for systems that operate with an 80386 but an 80486 is the recomended configuration, the entry will be 386 (486 rec.) systems that can use EGA, VGA, Super VGA (800x600) or Extended VGA (1024x768), the entry will be (E,V,SV,EV)GA; systems that can use either the ISA (AT) bus, the EISA bus, or the Microchannel bus, the entry will be (E)ISA, MCA. ---------------------- Vendor: Everex Product: ESIX 3.2 Contact info: uunet!zardoz!everex!jde or 415-683-ESIX Price: complete (*): $825 * Includes unlimited user, development system, network, xwindows Minimum Config: Support: Free lifetime (currently). reported to be pretty good Documentation: no on-line man pages poor paper documentation (costs extra too) File System: fast file system (not Berkely?) Drivers: Networking: TCP/IP runtime and development and STREAMS bundled X11 Support: X11R3 client and server is bundled, Motif is extra MS-DOS Support: Miscellaneous: inexpensive upgrade policy ---------------------- Vendor: Intel Product: UNIX System V 3.2 Contact info: 1-800-548-4725 Price: base (2 user): $595 development: $665 Minimum Config: (3,4)86; ISA; 4MB mem; 40MB disk Support: Documentation: File System: Drivers: Networking: RFS, Streams, Network Services Extension, Open Systems Networking Interfaces. NFS ($695), TCP/IP ($495). X11 Support: $495: supports Hercules, (C,E,V)GA MS-DOS Support: $895 for Merge/386 Miscellaneous: full/real AT&T unix ---------------------- Vendor: Interactive Corporation Product: 386ix 2.2 Contact info: support@isc.com or (213) 453-8649 Doug Pintar <zardoz!uunet!ico.isc.com!dougp> Price: base (2 user): $495 development: $795 text: $395 Minimum Config: 386; ISA, MCA, Multibus; 2MB mem (4MB rec.); 5.25, 3.5 floppy; ?MB disk Support: Hard to get - theirs is (reportedly) NOT good, and you only get it free if you bought from them - otherwise its $600/yr (approx). Documentation: File System: Sys V accelerated with a bitmap of free/used blocks in memory. Drivers: HPDD - Very good disk and tape support, including SCSI 2.2 SCSI drivers have extremely good performance (especially with bus mastering controllers.) Sun River Fiber Optic workstation driver Ethernet: MICOM Interlan or StarLAN Networking: $495 for TCP/IP, Sockets, TELNET, FTP X11 Support: $795 ($295 for X11 runtime) for Xlib, XT toolkit, EGA thru' Matrox hi-res color. $495 for Motif ($295 runtime) $595 for Looking Glass (X11 desktop). Reportedly best performing in 386 market. MS-DOS Support: transfer files between MS-DOS and UNIX, directly access MS-DOS filesystem; VP/ix ($495, 2-user) Miscellaneous: Support for AT, MCA, Multibus busses includes C-shell and Sendmail upgrade policy ($700 to upgrade a $3000 system) ---------------------- Vendor: Mark Williams Company Product: Coherent Contact info: (800) MARK WMS Price: base: $99.95 Minimum Config: (2,3)86; ISA (NO MCA) Support: Documentation: A single manual. Pretty good for $99 File System: Drivers: won't work on systems w/ SCSI or ESDI Controllers Networking: X11 Support: MS-DOS Support: Miscellaneous: C compiler, uucp, yacc/lex bundled, executables limited to 64K really only a 286 product ---------------------- Vendor: Microport Product: System V/386 R4 Contact info: postmaster@mport.com (a guess) (408) 438-8649 Price: base: $329 development: $598 (includes Korn shell) text: $259 Minimum Config: (2,3)86; ISA; 1.5MB mem (640K for 286); ?MB disk; Support: Documentation: File System: Drivers: Networking: Add on: $299 for Network Services Extention X11 Support: MS-DOS Support: Add on: $399 (2-user) DOSMerge Miscellaneous: Saw in ad: Distribution Royalties Apply full/real AT&T unix ---------------------- Vendor: Prentice-Hall Product: MINIX 1.5 Contact info: books@prenhall.com (800) 624-0023 or (201) 767-5969 Price: complete (3 user): $169 Minimum Config: (-,2,3)86; 512MB mem; (C,E)GA, herc, mono; floppy (hard rec) Support: Documentation: File System: Drivers: Networking: Distributed computing on Ethernet (remote login, etc.) X11 Support: MS-DOS Support: Miscellaneous: no AT&T UNIX code. delivered with source code Versions are also available for the Atari ST, Macintosh, and Amiga. Kernighan and Ritchie compatible C compiler Support for extended memory up to 16M on 286 and 386 32-bit versions of MINIX 386 is in works POSIX compliance anticipated in 1992 as well as ANSI C Compiler ---------------------- Vendor: Santa Cruz Operations Product: SCO XENIX Contact info: info@sco.com or support@sco.com (408) 425-7222 (I think they also have an 800 number) Price: base (2 user): $595 development: $795 text: $195 Minimum Config: 286 (386 rec.); (E)ISA, MCA; ?MB mem, ?MB disk Support: support via annonymous UUCP Documentation: excellent hard-copy; on-line w/ text package File System: standard System V filesystem Drivers: Networking: TCP/IP ($395 + $395 development; 2-user, not for 286) XENIX-NET ($695, $595 for 286) X11 Support: Xsight ($395 + $395 development; not avail for 286) MS-DOS Support: ability to xfer files between DOS and *nix can compile to DOS from *nix VP/ix ($495, 2-user, 386 only) Miscellaneous: (relative) ease of system administration most common 386 *nix on the market ---------------------- Vendor: Santa Cruz Operations Product: SCO UNIX SVR3.2 Contact info: info@sco.com or support@sco.com (408) 425-7222 Price: base (2 user): $595 development: $995 Minimum Config: (3,4)86; (E)ISA, MCA; ?MB mem, ?MB disk Support: support via annonymous UUCP Documentation: excellent File System: AFS (Acer File System) -- fast filesystem-like Drivers: Networking: NFS ($395 2-user); TCP/IP ($395 + $395 develop, 2-user) X11 Support: Xsight ($395 + $395 development) MS-DOS Support: ability to xfer files between DOS and *nix can compile to DOS from *nix VP/ix ($495, 2-user) Miscellaneous: (relative) ease of system administration most common 386 *nix on the market, full/real AT&T unix, C2 security, Codeview, (reportedly) still a bit buggy ---------------------- Vendor: Santa Cruz Operations Product: Open Desktop (ODT) Contact info: info@sco.com or support@sco.com (408) 425-7222 Price: base: $995 development: $1495 server upgrade: $1495 Minimum Config: (3,4)86; (E)ISA, MCA; (E,V,SV,EV)GA, Herc.; 5.25, 3.5 floppy; 6MB mem (8 rec.), 100 MB disk (150 rec.). Support: support via annonymous UUCP Documentation: 2 manuals, on-line File System: AFS (Acer File System) -- fast filesystem-like Drivers: Ethernet: 3Com and Western Digital SCSI: Adaptec; ESDI: SMS; Others. Video: 800x600: Orchid, Paradise, Video7, 1024x768: Orchid. 80387 or Weitek 1167 Various mice, tape, serial cards Networking: TCP/IP, NFS client and LAN Manager client bundled NFS Server w/ server upgrade Streams, NFS & TCP/IP devel. w/development system X11 Support: SCO X/Sight with Motif bundled X lib, X toolkit, Motif style guide w/ devel. sys. MS-DOS Support: DOS-Merge bundled; ability to xfer files between DOS and *nix; can compile to DOS from *nix VP/ix ($495, 2-user) Miscellaneous: (relative) ease of system administration SCO UNIX + X11R3 + NFS + Ingres ---------------------- Vendor: UHC Product: UNIX System V Release 4.0 Contact info: ...!uunet!uch!sam (713) 782-2700 Price: base (2 user): $ development: $ text: $ Minimum Config: Support: Documentation: File System: standard System V filesystem Drivers: SCSI, ESDI, Mouse Networking: X11 Support: MS-DOS Support: Miscellaneous: ---------------------- * PLEASE NOTE: This list does not speak for any of the vendors (or anybody * else, for that matter), prices and support subject to change. This is * for informational purposes only. Noone should buy based solely upon the * information here -- actual details should be gathered from the * Manufacturer. ---------------------- Thanks to everyone who has replied. Wade Guthrie evil@arcturus.UUCP ...uunet!ccicpg!felix!arcturus!evil -- Wade Guthrie (evil@arcturus.UUCP) | "He gasped in terror at what sounded Rockwell International; Anaheim, CA | like a man trying to gargle while My opinions, not my employer's. | fighting off a pack of wolves" | Hitchhiker's Guide