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From: boykin@encore.com (Joseph Boykin)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.encore
Subject: Re: Questions regarding: Mach Release 1.0 for the Multimax
Message-ID: <14091@encore.Encore.COM>
Date: 19 Feb 91 14:46:19 GMT
References: <14033@encore.Encore.COM> <3507@casbah.acns.nwu.edu> <14083@encore.Encore.COM> <3649@casbah.acns.nwu.edu>
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In article <3649@casbah.acns.nwu.edu>, phil@eecs.nwu.edu (William LeFebvre) writes:
|> In article <14083@encore.Encore.COM>, boykin@encore.com (Joseph Boykin) writes:
|> |> In article <3507@casbah.acns.nwu.edu>, phil@eecs.nwu.edu (William LeFebvre) writes:

I sent a reply to the author last week, but meant to do a followup
so the rest of the group could see it.

|> |> The answer is definately COFF since that is what all of Encore's compilers
|> |> and linkers for the Multimax use.
|> 
|> Hmpph!

Why would you care what object file format we use?  Unless you have
another machine with the same instruction set (unlikely on an NS32K based
system!) with a different object file format, what's the difference?

|> |> |> Does anyone have an idea how much it would cost to switch?
|> |> 
|> |> $1,000 for Mach.
|> |> $4,000 for NFS.
|> 
|> I find that pricing structure quite odd.

Why?

|> We already have the "NFS option" for Umax 4.0.  Would we still have to
|> pay this additional $4000 for NFS under Mach?

Most of the reason for this has to do with SUN, not Encore.
SUN is requiring us to pay royalties for NFS under Mach.  That royalty
can be measured in thousands of dollars given a bunch of different factors.

Regardless, this is a different product, just because someone buys NFS
for Umax there doesn't seem to be alot of reasoning behind giving NFS
for Mach for free.  It cost us to develop it, it costs us to maintain
it and it costs (big time) for royalties.  If we didn't have to pay
another royalty to SUN, than the price should be less for those with
NFS for Umax, but that isn't the case.


----

Joseph Boykin
Manager, Mach OS Development
Encore Computer Corp
Treasurer, IEEE Computer Society

Internet: boykin@encore.com
Phone: 508-460-0500 x2720


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