Summary: which 386 UNIX ?

[Nigel Harwood]

I asked a while back for feedback on which UNIX to by for
a 386 system.  I have received a good number of replies and
have compared the information to my requirements.

Target system must include:

   SVR4 (devel)
   X11R4 (devel)
   Motif 1.1 (devel)

Target system nice to have:

   DOS emulation
   GUI desktop

****************************************************

NOTE: People have sent me their thoughts on these products in
      good faith and conclusions I have come to are purely my own.
      No doubt in many areas my logic and/or information is faulty
      so if you use/distribute/produce any of these products and
      disagree with anything I have said, PLEASE don't flame me.
      If you can add to any discussion this posting may cause
      and consider it worthwhile bandwidth please correct my
      mistakes/inaccuracies etc.

SCO SVR3.2
----------

A number of people pointed out that SCO do not currently have a SVR4
product and that they have given no committment to one in the near
future.

CONCLUSION:

   Rejected as no SVR4 is available (now, maybe ever).

ISC SVR3
--------

Again some people pointed out that ISC also do not have a SVR4 version
but that they have at least committed to doing one.

One user commented that he found ISC robust and fast but that SCO
products always seemed to be available before ISC versions.
This should become a non-issue with SVR4 ABI ?
Also that support was fair for the first 30 days but expensive after that.

Another user said that he had used ISC, SCO, ESIX, Intel and vanilla
AT&T and that if you were after connectivity and stability he would
recommend ISC as he had had problems with the others.

>From an adv. in a recent magazine ISC has at least the following :

   TCP/IP NFS
   X11R? (didn't say which version)
   Looking Glass (GUI desktop)
   VP/ix (DOS emulator)

CONCLUSION:

   Rejected as no SVR4 is available (now) but otherwise sounds good.

AT&T SVR4
---------

One person responded indicating that AT&T would be the best choice as
they are the biggest commercial distributer.

CONCLUSION:

   The version I use at work on an NCR 3000 only has X11R3 and I'm
   particularly keen on X11R4 (this is not to say that a copy direct
   from AT&T would only have X11R3, maybe its just NCR).
   Also I haven't been able to get any further details on non-commercial
   availability and pricing so rejected it.

Microport SVR4
--------------

The responses on Microport rated their technical support as excellent
but pointed out that their package was expensive.  In addition DOSMerge
was extra.

CONCLUSION:

   Rejected due to suggestion of high cost and lack of any other
   contradictory information (suppliers where are you?) and due
   to lack of information (I don't know what it does or doesn't have).

UHC SVR4.0
----------

One user would definitely NOT recommend UHC due to numerous
problems he personally has had.

One user is reasonably satisfied with it and found it
stable but considered UHC's support to be intermittent.
He noted that he had upgraded for US$900 and probably wouldn't have
chosen UHC if he had had to pay full price which he considered
expensive.

I have recently heard that IBM are taking up UHC as a product for
their PCs, if its true this could change UHCs future I expect.

>From an adv. in Byte magazine UHC has at least the following :

   TCP/IP NFS RFS
   X11R4
   OPEN LOOK
   OSF/Motif (didn't say which version)
   X11/NeWS
   (does not have a DOS emulator)

CONCLUSION:

   Rejected due to cost and negative responses.
   Programmers odyssey adv. in Byte
      US$1995 for two users.

ESIX SVR4.0.3
-------------

As I noted in my original posting no DOS emulator is currently
provided with ESIX but someone said that ESIX have promised one soon,
probably the one from Locus Computing.  One user said that the
VP/ix emulator from ISC would run under ESIX.

All responses regarding ESIX said they gave excellent free technical
support and that given the same choices as mine they have chosen ESIX.

Their SVR4 product is just new on the market but has a good price.

One user noted that it may be better to purchase the AT&T manuals
rather than the ESIX documentation as he found the SVR3 versions
to be outdated in some ways.

>From written documentation sent to me from ESIX they have at
least the following :

   TCP/IP NFS RFS RPC SL/IP STREAMS TLI
   X11R4
   OPEN LOOK + X11/NeWS   (available as an extra)
   OSF/Motif 1.1          (available as an extra)
   Korn shell
   on-line manual pages

CONCLUSION:

   ESIX is the only one I have found an Australian supplier for
   (Multisource) so gets some extra points for that.

   I got a tentative RRP from Multisource Australia.  To be fair they
   say that this is only an initial price and that negotiations will
   definitely reduce this (it would need to).
      AUS$2766 for 2 users (incl. Motif)

   Phone prices from Programmers Odyssey in the US on 3rd May '91
      US$ 950 for 2 users (incl. Motif)
      US$1250 for 2 users (incl. Motif & hardcopy manuals)

DELL SVR4
---------

Feedback on DELL was very positive saying that the product is good and
so is support.

One user said though that the price changes depending on
whether or not you bought your hardware from DELL.
The quoted figure was US$1100 if you didn't get your hardware from
them.  The advertised price of US$995 that I got from the DELL info
message does not specify whether this is with or without a hardware
purchase (I'm assuming without).  The same user also thought it possible
that the level of support may also vary regarding your hardware purchase.

Another user said that DELL was the best UNIX for 386 for the price
but to be careful about hardware (disk controller, graphics).  For
disk controllers he said they support Ultrastore (ESDI) and Adaptec 154?.
For graphics they support their own cards one which is WD-Paradise based
and the DELL GPX (Renaissance GRX II) card.  Roell's X11R4 is supposed
to work, though he hadn't tried it.  He finished by saying he may
be getting ESIX SVR4 to have a look at.

>From the excellent info message from DELL (why doesn't everyone
do this) they have at least the following :

   TCP/IP NFS RFS RPC SL/IP STREAMS TLI
   X11R4
   OPEN LOOK (xview 2.0 version)
   OSF/Motif 1.1
   X.desktop 2.0
   Merge from Locus Computing (DOS emulation)
   XView libraries
   Korn shell
   xpostit xcal xrn xrnm xface xfax xpic xtex xmh
   sendmail mh elm mmdf rcs gdb emacs
   on-line manual pages

CONCLUSION:

   Everything I could want (drool).

   From DELL's info message
      US$ 995 1-2 users.

*************************************************************

Well, after all that what am I going to do ?

For my needs and pocket it comes down to either DELL or ESIX.

Prices are very similar for what I want ESIX US$950, DELL US$995,
although DELL gives you some significant extras in its offering,
Merge, X.Desktop, OPEN LOOK as well as Motif.

ESIX however has an Australian distributor which is a plus
although they do seem a bit expensive compared to the US pricing.

For now I will wait on the information which DELL are mailing
to me to make a final decision.  My feeling though is that the
hardware side of DELL (i.e. will my hardware run with their O.S.)
is of some concern so ESIX would be my first choice, perhaps DELL
can dispell my fears.

Based on the replies I got I don't think I can loose either way
with these two.

Thanks for all your input.

Regards
-- 
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