Update on Tenon Unix...still awaiting user reports

[Tim Scott]

The original post was inspired by a mailing I got from them (I
must be on a list somewhere...) I returned a card for more info
before Xmas but have not heard the response yet. Addresses, phone
numbers and prices below. 

There seems to be enough interest in this thing for me to collect
some replies I received and post them. I have not received the
information I requested from Tenon before Xmas, but other people
have so (presumably with their permission) I am going to summarize
what I have received.

"[Tenon] are implementing Mach as a Mac application running on top of 
MacOS. They released a beta copy for testing and it got very poor 
reviews." [Anybody know where these reviews were published?] "If you 
want a real Unix or Mach Mac you won't be getting it anytime soon from 
these guys.

CMU has ported Mach to the Macs, but will not be distributing it. Mt Xinu 
and Apple are negotiating for the distribution rights. Hopefully, we will 
see something soon. "

-------------------------

"I got the literature from the company on it....

Looked pretty good...I'm a big fan of Mach (I went to CMU)...

The only 2 things I didn't really like about it were:

-- that it runs as a Mac application UNDER the MacOS...it does not
replace the operating system in the formal sense...so things like VM
and the like are a pseudo-hack

-- that it only saves files as MacOS files....does not save anything as
UNIX files locally (although I imagine if you're writing to an nfs
volume, it would :)

Hope this helps..."

-------------------------

One correspondent asked some penetrating questions. I don't have all
the answers, but I am quoting him anyway:

"- Is that a "pure" BSD Reno, or did they use the Mach x.y stuff?
  If so, which values for x and y (2.5, 2.6, 3.0)?"

[According to a chart on the flyer, the base is Mach 2.5.]

- File systems available for Unix applications? (MacOS, 
  A/UX-compatible BSD and SysV partitions)
- Access to Communications Toolbox? (Fake ttys, whatever)
- Does it run on regular background time, or via a scheduler?
  (Time Manager?) I.e. do Unix tasks continue to run when you 
  run Hypercard bseides it, under MultiFinder, and you press the 
  mouse button in the menu bar or a window title bar?
- What will they do about System 7.0?
- Voice and Fax phone numbers? (Please keep in mind that 800 
  numbers aren't reachable from outside the US.) Address?"

[This I can help with. Tenon Intersystems, 1123 Chapala St., 
Santa Barbara, CA 93101  Tel (805)963-6983  FAX (805)962-8202.

Pricing ranges from $495 (2-user kernel system software,
before 1/15/91 ($595 afterwards) to $1130 for an unlimited
user license, including online reference manual and programming
manual in HyperCard,printed copy of the Development System Installation
Guide, User's Guide, Release Notes. ($1230 after 1/15/91) 

Thanks to everyone who sent me mail.  I hope you don't mind me
quoting you since I didn't attribute. 

I'm sorry that this post doesn't shed much more light on this 
mysterious product, but I'm going to risk the flames of 
cross-posting to comp.unix.aux to see if the A/UX gurus know 
anything about this or have any comments.

Regards,
-- 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
Tim P Scott     . . sending from: Spectragraphics Corp.
9707 Waples St., San Diego CA 92121  [USA]+619-587-6834
Try: scott at spectra.com  or ...{ucsd!}nosc!spectra!scott