From: orville%weyrich@tnet.com (Orville R. Weyrich)
Subject: Re: Including OS/2 in a small work-group
Reply-To: tnet.com!weyrich!orville
Organization: Weyrich Computer Consulting
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 92 10:45:34 GMT

In article <1992Jul27.152021.9219@sjsumcs.sjsu.edu> rick@sjsumcs.sjsu.edu (Richard Warner) writes:
>orville%weyrich@tnet.com (Orville R. Weyrich) writes:
>
>>For about $300/node I can set up TCP/IP and NFS to share files between
>>OS/2 and MS-DOS/Windows platforms :-(

While I can easily justify the hardware and software costs of OS/2 for a
server or client/server node, in many applications a simple 286 running
a single client application with DOS/Windows/Novell Lite is the most cost-
effective solution, especially when the 286 computers already exist and can't
be easily upgraded to 386's [i.e. old memory chips won't plug into new
motherboards.]


>>If I leave OS/2 out of the picture, I can use Novell NetWare Lite to get
>>the same functionality as TCP/IP and NFS in a small local area net, for
>>only about $70/node. :-)
>
>>But then I am stuck with a FAT file system. :-(
>
>>What I really want is Novell NetWare Lite for OS/2 or else a much cheaper
>>source for TCP/IP and NFS for DOS/Windows [I want DOS nodes to be able to
>>"publish" network volumes as well as "mount" them.]
>
>TCP stacks can be had for cheap (nothing - using CUTCP or NCSA).  NFS is
>expensive, generally, because it is costly to implement.  Development 
>costs are high, plus NFS vendors pay Sun a license fee ....

Why is Novell Lite so much cheaper than NFS for the MS-DOS side? It seems
to have at least as much functionality. I don't mind paying several hundred
dollars for the OS/2 node, but I really object to paying that much for 
a MS-DOS PC. Surely the licence fee to Sun is not a couple hundred dollars
per PC node. 

>>Or have the vendors involved (Novell, IBM, etc.) conspired to suppress
>>the functionality that I want in order to enhance sales of more expensive
>>solutions [that may be worth it if I needed their full functionality,
>>which I don't]? :-(
>
>It seems as if everyone is quick to postulate 'conspiracy' when the price
>of a product does not fit their expectations.  Again, you can get
>TCP stacks for little/nothing (CUTCP/NCSA).  IBM has to cover the costs
>of development, distribution, and support for their product.  NFS

As I said, I don't mind paying several hundred dollars for an OS/2 version
that will work with the cheap ($70) MS-DOS nodes.

>products have these same costs, with the added burden of license payments
>to Sun.  There is only one 'free' NFS implementation - SOSS.  But this

Where do I get SOSS?

>is the server side of NFS, not the client side that you want.  The NFS
>client market is owned by Sun; the only other major player in this

Does Sun hold legal title to this market? Or do they "own" the
market only by virtue of nobody else taking the trouble to code their
own? While a UNIX client might be hard to implement, I can't imagine
a MS-DOS client/server being that hard. The specs have been published, 
haven't they?

>Peer-to-peer networks are a niche market.  IBM had one - the IBM LAN
>program - which was a dog.  It required a lot of memory, and then ran
>at tortoise speeds.  Novell ate it for lunch and ArtiSoft (LANtastic)
>picked up the crumbs.  Now with OS/2 and other OS's on the horizon there
>may be new markets for peer-to-peer, but it will take a while for 
>offerings to show up and then market acceptance will determine how long
>they stay. 

Novell Lite meets my needs and expectations for MS-DOS platforms. I see
no reason why it would be a dog on an OS/2 platform.

>There is another option you have ignored, but it is not that cheap and
>it definitely leaves out you 8088/6 boxes.  That is DesqView/X.  DVX
>can run over IPX, so you could have a Netware-lite LAN and then run
>DVX on the clients.  Not 'publishing' the way you want, but it does
>permit peer-to-peer access.  Cost of DVX is $180 at our local store.

Could you please elaborate?


orville

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Orville R. Weyrich, Jr.                          Weyrich Computer Consulting
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Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.networking