Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!marque!studsys!stevej
From: stevej@studsys.mu.edu (jovanovic)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Status of MacMINIX and affordable alternatives to A/UX UNIX
Message-ID: <754@studsys.mu.edu>
Date: 22 Jan 90 02:29:16 GMT
Reply-To: stevej@studsys.mu.edu (jovanovic)
Organization: Marquette University - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Lines: 32

A while back I read an article about MacMINIX, which Prentice-Hall was
considering marketing for the Mac, but wasn't sure about it because
they didn't think there would be much interest in it.  Someone urged
professors to write in to a particular address to urge Prentice-Hall
to go ahead with marketing, but I don't know what heppened.  MacMINIX
was supposed to sell for no more than $100, and used not so much as
a serious alternative to A/UX or anything like that, but an educational
tool for learning about operating system design.  It includes its own
C compiler and a lot of utilities.  I think it would be ideal for 
people who have longed for an affordable UNIX interface for their 
Macs that can run under Multifinder, not to mention an great tool
for students who program on UNIX machines..in that being able to 
do the programming cycle on their Macs and upload the final version
to their UNIX machines would often be more preferrable than having
to fight for time on a bogged-down system.  Has anyone heard anything
about the current status of MacMINIX?

Also, what about other UNIX alternatives, such as OS/9 and MacIDRIS?
These are much more expensive than MacMINIX (if it's ever released!)
but maybe the companies that put them out give educational discounts.
Has anyone had any experience with these products?  It would be great
if someone could do a comparison between them.  I'd be glad to 
summarize responses, if you leave me mail at the address below.

Thanks for your help!


-- 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| stevej@studsys.mu.edu    | Everyone will be famous for 15 minutes--Warhol |
| Marquette University EE  | Andy, where's my 15 minutes? --Bowie           |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------