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From: mss+@andrew.cmu.EDU (Mark Steven Sherman)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.appletalk
Subject: TopsTerminal
Message-ID: <wV8pOZy00VsA9j41XP@andrew.cmu.edu>
Date: Fri, 14-Aug-87 14:27:49 EDT
Article-I.D.: andrew.wV8pOZy00VsA9j41XP
Posted: Fri Aug 14 14:27:49 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 16-Aug-87 02:43:13 EDT
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Would someone like to provide some technical details and comparisons on Tops
Terminal for the group? At the MacWorld expo, I found Centrum less than
giving (one woman told me she knew nothing, another who was holding some kind
of press release labeled Tops Terminal refused to answer me with anything but
"I'm off duty" and the person who claimed to be the project manager three
times gave some glib description and then turned to a discussion of Tops on
the Sun.) Some questions:

1) What are site licensing options? Enough of the "we can work something
out". The only datum I got was $180 quantity 1 (as if anyone has a network of
quantity 1).

2) What kind of address resolution protocol does it use? I heard an assertion
that it uses the old Xerox (original MacIP) version rather than the newer
version or the official Apple version.

3) How are IP addresses assigned to Macintoshes?

4) How does the FTP work? Like TFTP in the old version of MacIP (PC/IP) which
does a back call? Or like Stanford's? Or ?

5) How good is the VT-100 emulation? How about scrollback?

6) Any restriction on the concurrent use of desk accessories, e.g.,
Intermail?

7) How does it compare against the Stanford or U.Ill programs?

Someone ought to tell Centrum that universties tend to use IP based systems
and that decisions about such choices are made before students arrive on
campus, e.g., soon. Waiting until October to get information out is like
saying that they don't want university business until next year. Oh well, we
can't wait, so I doubt we'll be using Centrum's product this year regardless
of how good it is.
		-Mark