Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!amdcad!ames!claris!apple!dwb
From: dwb@apple.UUCP (David W. Berry)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: A/UX cost
Message-ID: <7438@apple.UUCP>
Date: 18 Feb 88 13:02:36 GMT
References: <2489@tekig4.TEK.COM> <3600018@iuvax> <6982@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>
Reply-To: dwb@apple.UUCP (David W. Berry)
Organization: Apple Computer Inc., Cupertino, USA
Lines: 73
Keywords: toolbox features, UN*X gurus, NeXT, bad marketing

>>> NOTE: WHAT FOLLOWS SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS OFFICIAL APPLE ANYTHING! <<<

In article <6982@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> cswarren@enzyme.berkeley.edu.UUCP (Warren Gish) writes:
>	(2) only a single Mac application can run at a time
>	(3) no color support for Mac applications under A/UX
>	(4) file transfers between an A/UX disk partition and
>	    a MacOS partition must be made thru an MFS floppy
>	    disk intermediary
>	(5) Apple estimates only about 1% or less of the current MacOS
>	    applications will run under A/UX in their present form
>	    (although the changes necessary for A/UX toolbox-compatibility
>	    are said to be quite small)
Included in the list that does run though are:  FullPaint, FullWrite,
MacDraw, MacProject, Adobe Illustrator and host of thousands, well
hundreds, well at least 10.  On the bright side, several applications
I've written under MPW have compiled under A/UX and run just fine,
and vice-versa.

>	(6) extra hardware must be purchased in order to use LocalTalk
>	    for printing on a LaserWriter or other communications
The LaserWriter is supported as a serial printer.  Though as indicated
above, the toolbox does not yet support printing.  Transcript works
fine.
>
>Also, the MacII can not be configured to automatically boot A/UX
>when powered on -- but maybe there will be a MacOS CDEV+INIT sometime
>in the future that will automatically boot A/UX after the MacOS comes up?
>The power switch on the MacII will require that the unit be physically
>turned back on after an interruption of AC power, unless (I'm guessing)
>the power-on switch is taped down.
	Hmm.  You got misinformed on this one.  The MacII boots A/UX
automagically just fine.  You set the startup application to "Sash"
the standalone shell, a macintosh application which let's you do all
kinds of nifty stuff.  You set sash to automatically boot unix after
a timeout (default = 20 sec.).  Voila, A/UX boots automatically and
you get a chance to interrupt it in case you want to play macintosh
for awhile.  You are, however, correct in that if power is interrupted
you have to manually intervene to get the system powered up.  Perhaps
the solution is to get a UPS :-)
>
>According to MacWeek, some of the toolbox deficiencies (1-4?) are scheduled
>to be fixed this summer.  Until then, it appears to me that the current
>release of the A/UX toolbox is really to allow developers to prepare for
>a summer A/UX marketing fest.
	Actually, it's quite usuable, the restriction that really
hurts it not allowing printing, but for most of what I do I don't
print very often.
>
>Are there any UN*X gurus out there that can tell us what A/UX,
>with its System V Release 2-compatibility, lacks in comparison
>to what NeXT is rumored to have in its System V Release 3?
>Isn't Release 3 what AT&T is trying to standardize the world upon?
>
>Hey, Apple!  Say it ain't so, that all us MacII owners that already
>bought 5 MB RAM and an 80 MB disk don't have to buy it all again just
>to get A/UX.  @#%&!
	A/UX is only distributed on 80MB drives, so yes, you get
to buy one of those all over.  The memory you have is perfectly
usable though.
>
>Warren Gish
>IS&T
>Evans Hall
>Berkeley, CA 94720
>cswarren@violet.berkeley.edu


-- 
	David W. Berry
	dwb@well.uucp                   dwb@Delphi
	dwb@apple.com                   973-5168@408.MaBell
Disclaimer: Apple doesn't even know I have an opinion and certainly
	wouldn't want if they did.