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From: schaerer@ifi.unizh.ch (*)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.comm
Subject: looking for alternative to TOPS, Summary
Message-ID: <1991May21.141343.571@ifi.unizh.ch>
Date: 21 May 91 14:13:43 GMT
Article-I.D.: ifi.1991May21.141343.571
Reply-To: schaerer@ifi.unizh.ch
Organization: University of Zurich, Department of Computer Science
Lines: 36

A few weeks ago I asked:

> 1. Will TOPS run under System 7? (I heard no.)
>
> 2. Is there an obvious alternative to TOPS for a network with Mac's,
>    Sun's and PC's (all on Ethernet)?
>
> 3. Specifically, is there a software that allows PC's to access AppleShare
>    servers over Ethernet? (We consider installing CAP on our Sun servers.)

I received two replies, caught a few postings on the subject, and did some
further investigation. There seem to be three solutions:

- stay with TOPS: An upgrade to TOPS seems to be in the works. Version 3.1
  should be compatible with System 7.0. Promised for August '91 by the local
  distributor.

- switch to AppleShare: Apple had a product called AppleShare PC, which
  enabled PC's to access AppleShare servers. They have sold it to Farallon,
  it is now called PhoneNET Talk. Suns can be made AppleShare servers e.g.
  using CAP, or EtherShare by Helios (a german company).

  (According to the local Farallon distributor, they are working on a
  Windows 3.x compatible version of PhoneNET Talk. In fact, I saw a posting
  by a Farallon tech person (Michael P. McEuin <farallon@farcomp.uucp>) on
  a different subject, which indicated that this version 2.0.2 is finished.)

- switch to NFS: There are several NFS client implementations for Macs and
  PC's; for Macs e.g. NFS/Share by Intercon.

Thanks to Michael Peirce <outpost!peirce@claris.com> and Jim Geddes
<jim@intercon.com> for their replies, as well as Ransom Murphy
<murphy@cs.unc.edu> for his followup.

Daniel Schaerer, University of Zurich/Switzerland
schaerer@ifi.unizh.ch