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From: caf@omen.UUCP (Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: IBM's new System 2 Personal Computers
Message-ID: <511@omen.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 8-Apr-87 22:44:48 EST
Article-I.D.: omen.511
Posted: Wed Apr  8 22:44:48 1987
Date-Received: Mon, 13-Apr-87 04:13:18 EST
References: <775@oliveb.UUCP> <1579@bnrmtv.UUCP> <1339@uwmacc.UUCP> <542@neoucom.UUCP>
Reply-To: caf@omen.UUCP (Chuck Forsberg)
Organization: Omen Technology Inc, Portland Oregon
Lines: 25
Keywords: why even think about OS/2

In article <542@neoucom.UUCP> wtm@neoucom.UUCP (Bill Mayhew) writes:
:I think you'll probably have to settle (if that's the right phrase)
:for SCO or other flavor of Xenix/Unix on the new IBM machines.
:Microport fools around with code in the IBM BIOS chips on the AT.
:Microport will only assure that their port runs on a *real* IBM AT
:with their BIOS and their HD controller card.  This comes straight
:from a phone conversation with Microport's gurus.  They wouldn't
:promise when/if it'll be available for other machines.  This was
:the status as of about 2 months ago.

I suspect the compatibility issue Microport was talking about relates to
the "OS Merge" or whatever it's called these days (DOS Partition under Unix).
Without the protection hardware available on the 6300+ or (presumably) the
386, the merge software depends on the ROM BIOS for some of its functions.

But, Microport Unix (and SCO Xenix) run on virtually any AT or clone.
I had Microport running on a QIClabs AT clone with no compatibility
problems until the IBM/CMI hard disk drive bit off.

Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX Author of Pro-YAM communications Tools for PCDOS and Unix
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