Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!njin!princeton!njsmu!mccc!shevett
From: shevett@mccc.UUCP (Dave Shevett)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec.micro
Subject: Re: Digital Equipment Corporation's PC100 Microcomputer
Summary: You've GOT to be kidding...
Message-ID: <636@mccc.UUCP>
Date: 2 Mar 89 20:37:40 GMT
References: <958@cs.rit.edu>
Reply-To: shevett@mccc.UUCP (Dave Shevett)
Organization: The College On The Other Side of U. S. Route 1
Lines: 90

In article <958@cs.rit.edu> iav1917%ritcv@cs.rit.edu (alan i. vymetalik) writes:
>
>   They're not "HOT STUFF."  But, then
>   again, I don't need HOT STUFF to wordprocess my articles and papers.
>   I need a quality display and keyboard.  [...rantings deleted...].
>   By the time I have $10,000 to spend on an '386 PC system, the

Who ever said you need a 386 PC?  Most normal functions like WP and 
spreadsheets work great on a 1k 286 PC.  The video is excellent, and the
keyboard is whatever you want.

>   A real power-user knows how to get the Rainbow to do what he/she
>   wants it to.  

Granted, but that's not the point here.  I can make my S-100 system do
handstands beyond a Rainbow if I wanted it to...

>   [...] the BGIDEMO (graphics!) demo program runs
>   virtually, flawleslsy on the Rainbow at about a slow AT's speed!
>   Not too shabby for a supposedly non-compatible machine.  

Pretty shabby by my standards.  All PC's (not IBM pc's... ANY) are moving
toward high-end graphics interfaces for their systems.  The graphics on the
Rainbow were good, but DAMNED slow.  There are NO good windowing systems
around (that I'm familiar with), and none on the horizon...

>   By the way, the Rainbow has an almost complete implementation of the
>   VT-102 (not just VT-100!) built into ROM!  

Should I be impressed?  The key word here is 'almost'.  The VT102 mode is
at best functional.  Run up SmartTerm/240 on any PC and THATS what a
terminal emulator is about.

>   There is STILL a small, but extremely dedicated bunch of people
>   out there who want to see Rainbow users SUCCEED [...]

why?

>   [... more ramblings about Suitable's products ...}

This is sounding more and more like a late night commercial.  I've seen
Suitable's products, and they're pretty good.  Why not just say so, and get
on with it?  Why are you tearing apart people who are NOT using one
company's products?

>   OK.  Here's a brief summary of some things available for the Rainbow.

Brief?  Thank you for the listing, but did you have to show every product
on the market?  I don't remember seeing anyone ask for it.

>                and two background processes running.  Simultaneously!
>                OK.  It was somewhat slow.  If BSW would revamp it for

Congratulations.  You are touting a multi-user system for a 8086 based
computer?  Ok, so lets revamp the system for a 286 processor (costing how
much?) - Sounds like you've gone way over any reasonable amount of cash I'd
invest in this machine.  (DDS - Unix PC's - $495 - supports 3 users right
off the bat - and is still supported)

>         TurboPascal V5.0 (command-line version, only).

What's the point?  Turbo is was desgigned as an integrating programming
environment.  All the run-time libraries that are available for it are
virtually worthless if the screen drivers don't work.  You should have
stated that Turbo 3.0 runs on the machine fine.

>   You want compatibility?  With a lot of companies moving to
>   Windows-based applications, well, there you have it.  Couldn't have
>   asked for a better thing to happen to the Rainbow, hmm?

I'll wait until I see it.  Windows 2.1, eh?  Could be possible, but gee,
guess you'll need a mouse now, huh?

>   "The usenet DEC Rainbow Evangelist"
>
>   Mail:  Alan I. Vymetalik, Prism Software Designs, 8 Barn Swallow Lane
>          Rochester, New York, 14624-4650, USA    Phone:  (716)-889-2904

Its rare I flame someone on the net, and this may not even qualify, but I
sat through this entire tirade with a grim expression on.  Thank you Alan,
we understand that the Rainbow was  *FAIR* machine (I won't go further than
that), but PLEASE, try to restrict the postings to something approaching
reality?

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