SOFTWARE EMULATION
SUMMARY FOR PC X11
Thanks to everyone who responded to our following request. We are
obtaining demo copies of many of the products and will make a
final selection this fall.
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(Original Request Sent Out)
Has anybody out there used, evaluated, or purchased any
of the several PC X-TERMINAL emulation software products
now on the market and have comments/recommendations on
same.
Our primary application will be in a training room on
permanently installed 486 PCs so that we don't have to
keep physically switching them with X-terminals when the
training changes between DOS and UNIX based subjects.
To support the PC X software, we plan on also procuring
Hi-res 17" monitors and boards to speed up DOS Windows.
We have heard that the PC products are still a ways from
emulating a true X-Terminal - any comments?
A fast response would be appreciated - we are trying to
make a decision soon on spending year-end funds.
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Total of 45 responses received:
HCL-EXCEED for Dos/Windows
Hummingbird Communications Ltd.
Recommended: 18
Not Recommended: 1
Pros: Good interaction with DOS and Windows, eXceed
handles the dynamic color mapping correctly. May be
shared by multiple PC'S. Font support is good. Express
compression for serial connections is newer and faster.
Performs well in low-bandwidth X for running X over a
modem and displaying on a PC. Beat out XVision and
Desqview-X hands down in features and performance. On an
Ethernet connected 486, the program will convince you you
are on a SPARC-2 or SPARC-10 console running X11. FTP's
version of TCP/IP and eXceed are much faster than the
Quarterdeck version.
Cons: Requires 8MB RAM to get a full color ECAE
application up. Encounters problems using Open-look
Window manager menus. Xload-image doesn't work on 386's.
XVIEW for Dos/Windows
NCD
Recommended: 8
Pros: Runs on 4MB RAM. New NCD-Ware emulates an X-
terminal almost perfectly. Performance is good if you use
remote windows management. One of the easier programs to
install. X-ware is a full 32-bit implementation promising
better performance. Allows quick access between UNIX
based applications. According to NCD, they are no longer
supporting X-View, and they recommend going with their
latest software, "PC X-Ware".
Cons: Has problems with dynamic color mapping. NCD no
longer supports this package. Encounters problems running
as an xdm client. Does not run fast on a 486. Using local
Windows management, performance drops.
EXODUS
White Pine Software Inc.
Recommended: 1
Pros: Found to work well with HP Openview and Sun
OpenWindows
DESQVIEW-X
Recommended: 1
Pros: Quick over serial modem links. Supports PC-NFS.
Allows you to run your window manager locally. Comes
with software support. Easy to recompile X applications
Cons: Has no virtual window manager for Open-look.
XOFTWARE/32 for Windows
Recommended: 1
Pros: You get 386 bsd, netbsd, and Linux for free. You
can rsh to a miniframe if Unix training is not desired.
Installation is fairly straight forward and performance
is excellent. Framemaker is easy to run on the PC.
Cons: The price is high.
XOFTWARE for Dos
Cons: Struggled in setting it up.
XVISION
Unipress
Recommended: 2
Pros: Performs very good on 486 PC's. For more info
call 1-800-222-0550
MACX
Apple Macintosh
Recommended: 1
Cons: You have to disable any alert functions
(Microsoft Mail) or the Xserver will crash.
XFREE86
Recommended: 1
Pros: On a 486, running either Linux or bsd, Unix is the
best way to emulate a true X-terminal, a 486/33 with ATI
Vesa Local Bus card and SMC elite 16bit Ethernet card in
this case. Little trouble installing the full SLS
distribution (from tsx-11) which contains system 5 Unix
OS and XFREE86/X11R5. The performance is unbeatable by
any commercial Xserver. Used on DOS or Windows.
Cons: Takes up 80MB of disk space
MICROX for Dos/Windows
Recommended: 1
Pros: Fairly cheap. Installation is easy. Runs on top
of NCSA telnet. $250.00 per workstation. The package is
only a little slower than a Sun3 X-termial when run on a
486/25 with 4MB.
Cons: Package is slow when running high resolution color
PC EXCURSION
Recommended: 1
X-KIT
X-Link
Recommended: 1
Pros: $150.00 for the package, including X-server,
telnet, FTP, and NFS
MICRO X-LITE/X-ENLITE
Recommended: 1
Pros: Runs in conventional memory. Aimed at the current
NCSA Telnet user who prefers an X11 graphical interface.
Contains an integrated TCP/IP, uses CONFIG.TEL, and
interfaces to the packet drivers. Ideal package for the
low end user wanting to run an xterm or vi/mail//xmh/etc.
Included with Micro X-lite: SNTCP (Integrated TCP/IP),
rsh, rexec, Clarkson (Crynwr) Packet Drivers; X-enlite
is the next step up from X-lite. This runs in either
extended or expanded memory. International keyboard
support is is provided. 4MB is recommended for X-enlite.
Supports Bootp, Novell LAN WorkPlace for DOS. Included
with X-enlite: SNTCP (Integrated TCP/IP), rsh, rexec,
Clarkson (Crynwr) Packet Drivers, NCSA telnet, ftp, lpr,
lpq, ...
Cons: Not to be run with math or graph packages. The
only standard function missing is the arc code.
MICRO X-DOS
Recommended: 1
Pros: For the user more into the DOS environment. Runs
in either extended or expanded memory. International
keyboard support is provided. 4MB is recommended. Rsh and
rexec are supplied. Supports Bootp, FTP Software PC/TCP,
Sun PC-NFS, Novell LAN WorkPlace for DOS, Beame &
Whiteside WB-TCP, Lanera TCPOpen. SNTCP is included.
MICRO X-WIN
Recommended: 1
Pros: Supports all of the popular graphics accelerators
which have a Microsoft Windows 3.1 driver. X-Win uses
either the local Microsoft window manager or allows use
of a remote window manager (motif, open look, twm, ...)
in a single window mode. Supports FTP Software PC/TCP,
Sun PC-NFS, Lanera TCPOpen, WinSock.
I wish to thank the following people for their response:
USER@ADDRESS NAME
George@starnet.com George Brennan
Michico@starnet.com Michico Komchand
Dick@starnet.com Dick Montgomery
Rmitch@irus.rri.uwo.ca Ross Mitchell
Strombrg@hydra.acs.uci.edu Dan Stromberg
Tjm1@aloft.att.com Tim Mulrooney
Bilkerla@pluto.crd.ge.com Lawrence A Bilker
Peter@jrc.nl Peter Watkins
Willard@hvsun21.mdc.com David Willard
Shandelm@jpmorgan.com Joel Shandelman
Kerry.duke@analog.com Kerry Duke
Bill@aloft.att.com Bill Shorter
Boba@cstr.edinburgh.ac.uk Bob Anstruther
Crm@reston.eri.com Charles Mengel
Pjw@sma.usna.navy.MIL Dr. Peter Welcher
Todd@flex.eng.mcmaster.ca Todd Pfaff
Poc@usb.ve Poc
Danny@ews7.dseg.ti.com Danny Johnson
Tlk@micom.com Todd L. Kindig
Kruckc@hitachi.hitachi.com Craig Kruck
Blenherr@analytics.abb.com Bill Lenherr
Mol@NSD.3Com.COM Martin Lewald
Simone@sa-cgy.valmet.com Simone Monckton
Markh@analogy.com Mark Holm
Jtra@is-eerie.gwl.com Jim Traeber
Celso@jade.dcc.ufmg.br Celso de Souza Lima
Dburwell@telecom.telecom.com David Burwell
Dan@bellcore.com Daniel Strick
Jpd@discovery.cl.msu.edu Joseph P deCello III
Yanike@sunflats.Central.Sun.COM Mark Yanike
Russ@elvis.sciex.com Russell Conwath
Etnsed!xhaque@uunet.uunet.UU.NET Amanul Haque
Chughey@tango.cos.com Carl Hughey
Thomas@wiwi.hu-berlin.de Thomas Koetter
Mandrews@vcrt.hq.videocard.com Mike andrews
Dwellbor@sol.drao.nrc.ca Dale wellborn
Thielen@irus.rri.uwo.ca Susan Thielen
Lmcguy@LMC.ericsson.se Guy Boudreault
Dougj@iplab.health.ufl.edu Doug Jones
Rich_b@oldham.gpsemi.com Richard bogusz
Msk@sparc.bighouse.unipress.com Mark Krieger
David@bdt.com David Beckemeyer
Blymn@mulga.awadi.com.AU Brett Lymn
Dan_Morales@ATK.COM Dan Morales
Jtulip@pandora.mit.csu.edu.au James Tulip
SHIRLEY@its.uct.ac.za Shirley Butcher
Jmurtari@eclat.com John Murtari
Jpack@gds-03
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Will Ruzicka ruzicka@FNOC.Navy.Mil
U.S. Navy Office: (408) 656-4339
Fleet Numerical Oceanography Center Fax: (408) 656-4313
Monterey, CA
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