Software and Networking on SV/AT (Was: Re: Pity Poor...)

[Jeff Mann]

in comp.unix.microport, I write about running MS-WORD on SV/AT:
>>Is that too much to ask, without having to get some kind of klunky dosmerge
>>(if there even is one that works)??  Are there any decent applications I can
>>run? I have spent the last year writing code on it, but I can't do everything!

In article <446 at gould.doc.ic.ac.uk> brwk at doc.ic.ac.uk (Bevis King) writes:

>This is typical of the lack of information about third party UNIX software

>For example, I believe Quadratron have ported their Q-Office integrated
>package to Microport/286 (or so they told me), retailing at the exhorbitant
>price of 1500 pounds sterling.  Their Q-One word processor, on it's own,
>was arround 600 pounds sterling.  This package is a competant word processor

Oh good.

>Relational databases and 4GLs are also available.  I have used Unify Corp's
>ports of Unify RDBMS 4.0 and Accell 4GL 1.4 under Microport/286 and both
>knock spots of any of the DOS based packages I have seen, both in on-screen
>presentation and operational features and speed.

Better...

>There is a lot of good third party software about....
>			FLAME ON!!!
>	... and anyone who says their isn't is a Lying, ill-informed
>	    toad...
>			FLAME OFF!!
>>"there is NO support for ANY kind of networking with V/AT!" What kind of UNIX 
>>can't do networking?  The only thing I can think of is to use the KA9Q tcp/ip 
>>package over the serial port, that's really gonna please my MS-Word users!
>
>This is complete bullshit.
>
>Microport International's latest catalogue offers two TCP/IP kits for
>Microport; a Micom based package comprising the Micom NP600A card and
>software.  Also listed is an Excelan based package using the EXOS205T card
>and software.

Ok, now we're getting somewhere!  I don't know about the Lying toad bit, but
ill-informed may be quite applicable to me.  Really, I was only able to find
two distributors in Toronto that claimed to know anything about uPort; one
didn't answer the phone, and the other told me (and I quote) "there is NO
SUPPORT for networking... on the 286"!  The Ethernet support must be fairly
recent, but it's definitely a Good Thing.  I would prefer to use, say, a
Tops FlashCard with TOPS/uPort, but it doesn't exist.  I had heard that Tops
was working on porting to UNIXes other than Sun, but when I called them they
said they weren't.  Anyone know differently?

>It's called the Kinetics FastPath, and it allows a bi-directional gateway
>between EtherNet and AppleTalk.  The cost here in the UK is approx 1500
>pounds sterling... not cheap.  I believe there are public domain telnet

Kinetics also offers EtherSC which gives you a direct thin Ethernet 
connection through the Mac's SCSI port; about half the cost of the FastPath.

>Of course, as well as the Apple Macs, there is always PC/NFS and its
>ilk which allow you to file serve to DOS machines over EtherNet.

Ill-informed again - is this available for uPort?

>In my view, UNIX is the best operating system there is for Networking,

I thought so too, but I was beginning to wonder about *this* UNIX...

>Bevis King, Systems Programmer        |   Email:  brwk at doc.ic.ac.uk
>Dept of Computing, Imperial College   |   UUCP :  ..!mcvax!ukc!icdoc!brwk
>180 Queens Gate, London, SW7 2BZ, UK. |   Voice:  +44 1 589 5111 x 5085

Thanks for your informative posting.  I would certainly appreciate any more
(e-mailed) info, especially in regards to an inexpensive system that would
allow "transparent" file sharing between the SV/AT and our DOS and Macs,
a la TOPS.  We run a BBS from the UNIX box which contains an on-line version
of a magazine that is also published using Mac DTP stuff, so it's important
that we be able to work on the files using both systems simultaneously.
Presently we have to keep sending stuff back and forth with X-modem.

-- 
| Jeff Mann - Inter/Access Videotex, Toronto  ...uunet!mnetor!intacc!mann  |
| "A picture is worth 256 thousand words"  {utzoo, utgpu}!chp!intacc!mann  |