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From: tedg@apollo.HP.COM (Ted Grzesik)
Newsgroups: comp.misc,comp.os.misc,comp.periphs.printers
Subject: Re: Wang VS-80 question
Message-ID: <516c3dd5.20b6d@apollo.HP.COM>
Date: 7 May 91 16:36:00 GMT
References: <1991Apr30.214659.22978@panix.uucp>
Sender: root@apollo.HP.COM
Reply-To: tedg@apollo.HP.COM (Ted Grzesik)
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Apollo Division - Chelmsford, MA
Lines: 40

In article <1991Apr30.214659.22978@panix.uucp> joseph@panix.uucp (Joseph R. Skoler) writes:
>Does anyone know anything about the Wang VS-80 mainframe?
>
>I was offered one cheap and would like to know a little about it.
>
>Any information or leads to information would be appreciated.
>
>I'd like to know if there is a Unix for it?  If it's printers
>and/or disk drives are SCSI? etc.
>


I used to work at Wang in the Languages group.

Unless you plan to use it as a COBOL/Data processing/WP system for multiple users, 
avoid it.  Wang did create a version of UNIX called IN/IX, but it's a bare bones 
version of the OS.  To use serial terminals you need a special option card, so 
getting IN/IX is probably out of the question since Wang would charge you a LOT for 
the serial I/O card.  I think a 286 PC would probably execute faster than that CPU.
It's real strength is I/O.  The I/O processors are very intelligent, which make it 
quite good for a typical Data Processing application.  The CPU is not geared for 
scientific applications.  'nuff said.

The system is good for what it was intended for:  writing and executing COBOL
programs.  Other languages on native VS OS include C, FORTRAN, PL/1, RPG, and Ada.

Any Unix person would be hopelessly distressed using the native VS OS.  However,
Wang didn't get to be a multi-billion $ company by making totally useless machines.
They just don't fit the paradigm of a Unix hacker.

                   FYI,
                   Ted Grzesik

Ted Grzesik                            Hewlett-Packard Company
Massachusetts Language Lab             Chelmsford, MA  (508) 256-6600 x5959
tedg@apollo.hp.com
Ted Grzesik
tedg@apollo.hp.com
"Civilization is the limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities."
                                       -- Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)