Dirt-Cheap UNIX ($389.95) for the IBM PC/AT (and clones)

[Daniel M. Frank]

   This message is being posted using Pnews (part of rn) running under
Microport System V on a Compaq Deskpro 286.  I would like to add some
personal experiences to the other message.

   The Microport system is still in the beta stage, and is improving
rapidly.  Within a couple months, it should be ready, even for prime
time.  It is indeed REAL Unix, and bringing up such things as news and
rn has been surprisingly easy.  There ARE some gotchas and problems,
though.  DOS file transfer is not available yet.  Neither are eight
sector floppy drivers, and the drivers that exist are extremely slow
(the hard disk driver is ok, though).  Huge mode compilation (individual
data structures > 64K) is not going to be supported in any forseeable
century.  sdb refuses to debug anything whose name space exceeds 64K.

   Support has been excellent.  I have been able to talk to the people
who write the code, when necessary.  Bug fixes have been provided 
promptly for many of the problems, via Federal Express.  Microport is
in the process of bringing a support organization up, and seems to be
doing pretty well.

   This has to be the best deal in software today.  Wait until after
the official release date (I wouldn't look for it, really, until June)
unless you like to find and stomp bugs, but if you have a need to 
bring up a reasonably priced Unix workstation, this can't be beat.


-- 
	Dan Frank
	    ... uwvax!geowhiz!attpcrn!prairie!dan
	    -or- dan at caseus.wisc.edu