Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!seismo!hao!hplabs!sri-unix!decwrl!EVE:;,SU-Score@BRL.ARPA
From: EVE:;,SU-Score@BRL.ARPA@decwrl.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: DEC PROFESSIONAL SERIES
Message-ID: <4576@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 26-Aug-83 10:48:02 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.4576
Posted: Fri Aug 26 10:48:02 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 30-Aug-83 01:02:08 EDT
Lines: 59


    I wanted to take this opportunity to respond to Mike Lutz about 
    the Professional being a closed system.

    

    Initially we have been a closed system, not publishing the
    bus interface so not to hurt third party vendors in case
    we needed to make changes.  We never planned to keep it that
    way forever, but it was a question of timing it
    appropriately. 

    The CTI bus has just been made public.  We will be providing 
    documentation on this.
    
    
    1.	  Hardware Documenation
    
    	    The hardware has always been documented ever since we started 
         to ship the system except for some specifics on the bus.  The 
         problem is many did not realize the availability of the 
         "Professional Technical Summary".  Once they were aware of 
         the summary, it sold out at DECUS.  It can be ordered from 
         Digital Equipment Corporation.  It is documentation number: 
         EK-PC350-TM-OO1.  People have used it to put other OS's on 
         the system.
    
    2.	  Development Tools
    
    	    We always have had the PRO/Tool Kit in our plans.  It will be 
         shipping in October with PASCAL, FORTRAN-77, COBOL-81, and of 
         course, MACRO, BASIC+2 and DIBOL will follow.
    
    	    This product will also give you a full indirect command 
         processor, DCL, and let's not leave out EDT.  
    
    	    The product will also include all the documenation that let 
         you get inside the OS.  The same RSX directives, etc., that 
         had been documented with the VAX and RSX based tool kits.
    
    	    We are also documenting the interface to GIDIS, the VDI for 
         our graphics and hot to access the bitmap.	                  
         	                                                            
    The box appeared to be closed.  This was the case as typified by 
    the fact we had a private bus.  However, it was not closed.  It 
    appeared to be by looking at the menu's.  The problem may have 
    been people did not get the VAX/RSX Host Tool kits with alot of 
    the software internals documented.  Now with a public bus and a 
    PRO Tool Kit (no need to have a seperate development system any 
    longer) we are encouraging people to look under the hood.
    
    
    Jeffrey H. Rudy
    Digital Equipment Corporation
    Professional Series Engineering
    
    "use net-address for replies":
       {decvax,ucbvax}!decwrl!eve::rudy