PC X-11 EMULATION SOFTWARE SUMMARY

From: William Ruzicka (ruzicka@fnoc.navy.mil)
Date: Thu Aug 05 1993 - 05:17:19 CDT


                   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.
  -------------------------------------------------------------------

  (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.
  -------------------------------------------------------------------

  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

----------------------------------------------------------------------
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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