X-Envelope-to: sas-l@uga.BITNET
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Newsgroups: bit.listserv.sas-l
Date:         Wed, 29 Jul 1992 08:59:00 PST
Reply-To:     WALLY@FHCRCVAX.BITNET
From:         WALLY@FHCRCVAX.BITNET
Subject:      Summary of PC/X-windows posting

On Monday, July 27 I posted the following question.

>- What PC X-window software are you using?
>- Were special hardware requirements/enhancements needed on the PC?
>  i.e. extra memory/disk space, special video cards/monitors, etc.
>- Any special considerations using the software with the SAS system?

The replies I have received so far suggest that there are a LOT of SAS users
out there who are interested in this stuff, but very few who have real hands
on experience with any of the products that are available.

In a nutshell:
HCL-eXceed from Hummingbird seems to be the popular favorite.
Many asked about Quarterdeck's DESQview/X (their marketing blitz is
apparently having an impact) but only one reported seeing it in action.

Conventional wisdom on the hardware question indicates "the-bigger-the-better"
is the answer.  No surprise there.

No one mentioned any major problems with SAS's behavior with their machines.

Anyone interested in product reviews might try the following articles.
  - PC Week vol.8 n.32 August 12, 1991 p.65-70
    compares PC DECwindows, PC-XView, HCL-eXceed, and PC Xsight .
  - BYTE vol.17 n.8 August 1992 p.249
    review of DESQview/X .

I've attached the informational stuff from the PC-X users who were kind
enough to share their knowledge.
My thanks to all who replied!
                                                  ,
---                                               |`\
Wally Meyer                                       |  `\
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center            | _o/`\
wally@spock.fhcrc.org                              \ <\  `\
(206) 667-4985                                     ,---------'
                                                 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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From: "Michael L. Russell" <russell@pcmail.schev.edu>

We are using a package called Hummingbird eXceed.  It is a windows
package and requires monitor drivers from within the windows package.

The most important aspect of the pc as far as performance is concerned is the
video card.  You should definately get one with a coprocessor on board.  We
are using several including Hercules, Tiga, and ATI-Ultra.  We have found the
ATI-Ultra to be the most successful.  The name of the company is ATI
Technologies, Inc.

At minimum I would recommend you use a 16" monitor that can handle 1024x768
otherwise you will go blind from the small fonts that get displayed and you
will get totally disgusted with SAS sizing its windows off of your screen.

Also, keep in mind that all the factors that make windows run fast will make
your use of Hummingbird easier.  At minimum 8meg of Ram and a 386 class
machine.  We try to stick to 386-25's 386-33's and 486 machines with this
configuration.

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From: Frank Ng <a587700@hp9000.csc.cuhk.hk>

We are going to use MacX on Macintosh and Hummingbird's Xwindow on PC 486.

<Frank attached a long listing of product and vendor info he had compiled
<from other network newsgroups as of May 1991.
<For the sake of brevity I'll not include it in this summary, but if anyone
<really wants it I'll be happy to forward it to you.
<Wally

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From: Steve Marcus <SCM@HARVARDA.BITNET>

I am using HCL-eXceed/W by Hummingbird Software (416-470-1203). It seems
to do the job right out of the box (I have the windows version). My
selection was based excluseively on a review in PC-Week magazine sometime
in March (I think). It was rated best by a pretty fair distance.

The program is pricy ($400-500) but if you use it all the time I guess it
is worth it (I have not used it much because I have been doing small analyses
on the PC). Also, you need to make sure you have a supported TCP transport.
I use PC/TCP from FTP Software.

The tech support people have been only marginally helpful. One major problem
I had was that the program has some major bugs if runing under Sun Open
Windows 2.0. Upgrading to 3.0 fixed that (after 3 calls to tech support).

If I were doing it today, I'd probably look at Quarterdeck's Deskview/X
(although I dont like the idea of running Deskview - Most people use
windows and there is safety in numbers!)

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From: Dale Houston <dhouston@bio.ri.ccf.org>

I'm using a PS/2 model 70 with 8M of memory, an XGA card, a NEC
Multisync 5FG, OS/2, and IBM's TCP/IP for OS/2 with the X windows
option. It's OK but a little slow. Also, you are stuck using PM as your
window manager which is both good and bad. I've also tried an NCD 17c
which is a plain old x terminal and it smokes!!! Screen updates seem
faster than they do on our SPARC 2. (!)

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From: Rodney Sparapani <sparap@sophie.mscs.mu.edu>

try Deskview-X by Quarterdeck.  Nice article in this months PC World.
I've seen it run on 486's and it is a lot better performance
wise than MS-Windows.  Note it is an X-windows Server and MS-Windows isn't.

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