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From: pickens%ics@SDCSVAX.UCSD.EDU (Larry West {619-456-0361} courtesy of Karen Pickens)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc
Subject: Re: Re: 3COM 3c503 (Etherlink II) -- info needed.
Message-ID: <8711230015.AA17767@sdics.ICS>
Date: Sun, 22-Nov-87 19:14:00 EST
Article-I.D.: sdics.8711230015.AA17767
Posted: Sun Nov 22 19:14:00 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 26-Nov-87 06:33:04 EST
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The ARPA Internet
Lines: 26

| It's not at all apparent to me why an interface manufacturer would not
| want to disclose how to program their interfaces: the hardware
| that sells the most is usually the that has the most software available.
| Now unless 3com is in the software biz, what are they up to? It's nuts.
| 
| Maybe I'm missing something obvious...
| 
| -Philip

I think the key is that 3Com is selling a "Developer's Kit" for
writing software for the 3c503.   This includes assembly code
for {some part of?} their "Link Level Library" interface, a
technical manual, and 5 hours of consultation.    The assembly
code is well-commented, but of course suffers from all the
problems of assembly code.   And what I've seen was incomplete
and aimed for a "MINDS/XNS" implementation.   But what I saw is
6 months out of date, so take that with a grain of salt.   Oh,
the price is $995.   As far as I could find out, there was no
way to buy just the technical manual.   But then I made only a
dozen phone calls to 3com, so if you're not as impatient as me,
you might be able to get more help.

Larry West
CliniComp International
temporarily: pickens@sdics.ucsd.edu
619-456-0361