Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!csustan!koko!foobar
From: foobar@koko.UUCP (John Fruetel)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.microport
Subject: Is uPort/286 worth the trouble?
Message-ID: <799@koko.UUCP>
Date: 5 Apr 88 23:21:20 GMT
References: <878@nuchat.UUCP> <524@igloo.UUCP>
Reply-To: foobar@koko.UUCP (John Fruetel)
Organization: Computer Science Department, CSU Stanislaus, Turlock CA
Lines: 31
Keywords: 286, bugs, save some bucks
Summary: Thinking about buying it

- line eater food (do line eaters still exist?) -

Hello guys.  I've been contemplating buying Microport 286 for some time
so I started reading this news group to get a feel for what the product is
really like.  Thus far, it seems pretty mediocre.  So I'm gonna ask the
people that know (you) some questions.

I hear a lot of references to bugs.  Is it really any worse than
the other versions of Unix/Xenix?  Everyone has some complaints about their
operating system, but just how bad is Microport?  Is the 286 version worse
than the 386 version?

How tough is it to port applications to the 286 version with it's (gag)
segment registers?  I would definitely prefer to run on a 386, but I ain't
got one, so I'll have to live with what I have.

I have a no-name AT clone.  Is Microport likely to work on it?  It seems
to run everything else okay (except for QuickC which seems to gag on 40 meg
hard drives. Why?).  Is anybody else running Microport on one of these
"Far East" specials?

How much memory is recommended for running the beast?  I mean to run it
_effectively_, not just to get by.  Also, how much disk space does the
entire development version eat?

Frankly, it the thing really is a dog, I'll spend the extra money for
SCO Xenix.  If it's just as good, well then, I'll save some bucks and
buy Microport.

Please e-mail any responses.

bcnu j fruetel