Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!seismo!hao!hplabs!sri-unix!ron@brl-vgr From: ron%brl-vgr@sri-unix.UUCP Newsgroups: net.micro.pc Subject: PC/IX and other Unix Systems Message-ID: <16686@sri-arpa.UUCP> Date: Wed, 15-Feb-84 16:04:17 EST Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.16686 Posted: Wed Feb 15 16:04:17 1984 Date-Received: Mon, 20-Feb-84 01:30:11 EST Lines: 43 From: Ron NatalieWell, you can divide the IBM PC UNIX systems into two classes: REAL UNIX systems (i.e. essentially the Bell code and the Bell license) UNIX-like systems. Currently there are two REAL UNIX style systems. The first is VENIX from VENTURCOM. It is a real System III ported to the 8088. Not bad, just blase vanila system III. The other is the IBM PC/IX. PC/IX is not available now (April they claim). The software was not done by IBM but by Interactive Systems of Santa Monica. They are one of the oldest UNIX supporting organizations. I have mixed feelings about them. PC/IX is a basic system V with a lot of the Interactive Systems enhancements. Some of these enhancements are nice, some aren't. On the whole PC/IX looks to be a rather nice, ready to go, unix. It includes a screen editor (whose name keeps changing) but one name is INed. This is a derivative of the RAND editor. Both VENIX and PC/IX will run about $900. Popular UNIX like systems include (quickly, see the first issue of UNIX Review for a comparison): Coherent (Mark Williams): It took me a while to realize (even (looking at the source) that this wasn't a ported V7 system. $500. Fairly nice. No UUCP yet (except that Lauren is doing it). Xenix: Based on V7, but enough different to cause most UNIX people to pull their hair out. Unetix: Cheap, probably worth the $99 it costs but not outstanding. Personnally, I was going to go with Coherent being more of a V7 type than System III/V. However, due to the more supported nature of PC/IX and due to the fact that I am very familiar with the way the Interactive Systems code works (even if I don't always like it) I've settled on PC/IX and now I'm just waiting. The functioning UUCP that comes with it is a very big carrot to dangle in front of me. -Ron