Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!apple!radius!lemke
From: lemke@radius.com (Steve Lemke)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Re: Radius Rocket Experience?
Message-ID: <1471@radius.com>
Date: 12 Jun 91 16:47:03 GMT
References: <25363@well.sf.ca.us>
Distribution: comp
Lines: 49

mo@well.sf.ca.us (Maurice Weitman) writes:

>Alright, I'll admit it: I'm hooked by the prospects of having my
>IIx fly with the big boys and can't (won't?) wait for the Apple
>'040 boxes.  I'd like to find out what others have experienced
>with their Rockets, or what alternatives there might be.  I'm
>thinking Rocket because of its QuickDraw acceleration, but also
>on my mind is compatibility, both with System 7 (which I
>understand Radius will address with a software fix by the end of
>the month), as well as other hardware (EtherNet boards and SCSI
>devices like scanners and disk/tape drives) and software.

Well, as I type this message, I'm running System 7.0 on a Mac IIx, with a
Rocket, a Kinetics EtherPort II (through which I'm running TCP/Connect II
to telnet into a NeXT machine), and I have an external MicroNet 45mb Syquist
drive onto which I back up my system using DiskFit 2.0.  No problems here...

In fact, this setup seems more stable to me than non-Rocket, System 6.0.x
configurations that I used to run.  And yes, the QuickDraw acceleration is
very nice - it makes 8-bit mode at least as fast as unaccelerated 1-bit mode.

>Or should I wait for Apple's October surprise?

Do you really think you're going to be able to upgrade to a new machine from
Apple for $3000?  (Or less?  I've seen Rocket mail-ordered for close to $2K.)


NOTE:  No, we are *NOT* quite ready to release the System 7.0 upgrade for
Rocket, but we're getting close.  I've been using it for a while now, and
haven't really seen any problems.  There is still a little bit more work to
be done and more testing before we ship, but it's looking pretty good so far.

NOTE 2:  If you have a Rocket and would like me to put you on an electronic
mailing list to automatically receive the System 7.0 update for Rocket via
email, send your request to "lemke@radius.com".  Also indicate if you'd be
interested in a near-final beta pre-release, which could quite conceivably
become the release version, but otherwise carries all of the usual beta
disclaimers.

NOTE 3:  RadiusWare 2.0, QuickColor 1.7, Soft Pivot 1.2, and Radius/GX 1.2
are all now *officially* released, and are available on AppleLink and
CompuServe, as well as from Radius Technical Support at (408) 434-1012.
I will be posting all of this new software to comp.binaries.mac soon...


-- 
----- Steve Lemke, KC6QDT - Software Engineering, Radius Inc., San Jose -----
----- Reply to: lemke@radius.com -- U.C. Santa Barbara ECE Class of '89 -----
----- "I'm not a UNIX wizard, but I play the Postmaster at radius.com." -----