HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: marcu@leland.Stanford.EDU (Marc Albert Ullman)
Subject: Re: SCSI drivers
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 92 07:28:33 GMT

In article <1992Aug17.172755.161@leland.Stanford.EDU> m@crito.stanford.edu (M Carling) writes:
>This "benchmark" would be irrelevent even if used with the correct driver.  
>Notice that it does reads in 10 block chunks. Because some of the disks  
>use 512 byte blocks and others use 1024 byte blocks, reads are either 5K  
>or 10K. The sd driver uses 8K reads for filesystem access, so in neither  
>case is real-world performance indicated. If 8K reads were used in testing  
>the same disks that Jiro tested, the numbers would be significantly  
>different.
>
>As I posted before, I have yet to see a reasonable benchmark run on a NeXT  
>and another workstation using the same SCSI disk that shows NeXT's SCSI  
>driver to be inferior. If and when I do, I will lobby NeXT to write better  
>drivers. For now, I see no reason to do so.

I agree with your comments on using "disk" to benchmark disk performance;
however, I disagree with your conclusions.  When I upraded the original Maxtor
XT-3830S in my cube to a Seagate ST41650N (Wren VIII) last year, I used the
test you advocate to check the before and after performace.  While I did see
a substantial improvement (~400kB/s with Maxtor; ~1.1MB/s with Seagate),
these numbers are still *far* below the specified theoretical throughput
from these devices.  The Wren VIII has a sustained transfer rate of
1.83 to 3.5MB/s for data coming *off the media* and asynchronous SCSI
transfer rates of 1.65 to 3.0 MB/s.  The problem with the NeXT SCSI
driver is that it doesn't take advantage of various features of SCSI II
like tagged command queueing and sychronous transfer (for which the
drive can support transfer rates up to 5MB/s (which is faster than the
4MB/s max that the old '040 cubes can do because the 53C90A is only
clocked at 20MHz).  The current driver operates in lock step with the
drive, waiting for one command to complete before issuing the next, rather
than overlapping them and allowing the drive to optimize its performance.
The inside story from NeXT is that improving disk performance, while it
certainly could be done, is simply not a priority in a resource-strapped 
development environment.

--Marc
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.software
From: mconners@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Michael R Conners)
Subject: Paste-up & Dfax 1.0 release updates...
Summary: Patience is a virtue...
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 21:30:52 GMT

     I just got off the phone with RightBrain & Total System Software and
here's the latest release info for PasteUp and TSS's Supra FaxModem driver...

RightBrain- finishing touches on debugging, want to send out a quality product.
Should be shipping the end of August.

Total Systems Software: Driver works great, ready to ship within the next 
couple of days- had a problem w/their NeXT disk drive &/or system. System
should be alive tomorrow or so, and can start copying floppies again...

     That's the latest...save your dimes...
-- 
:  Michael R. Conners              : "Giving money and power to Congress is  :
:  THE Ohio State University       :  like giving liquor and the keys to the :
:  College of Business             :  car to teenage boys." - P.J. O'Rourke  :
Xref: sparky comp.sys.next.software:1203 comp.sys.next.misc:18739
From: ojohns@bodhi.sfsu.edu (Oliver Johns)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.software,comp.sys.next.misc
Subject: politics
Date: 17 Aug 92 21:44:42 GMT
Reply-To: ojohns@bodhi.sfsu.edu
Organization: S.F. State University

Mr. Carling of the Hoover Institution
has just posted a technical remark with
the following signature:

>>M Carling
>>Director, Bay Area NeXT Group
>>--
>>Save a child, shoot a drug dealer.
>>Save a thousand, shoot an abortionist.

I object to this signature.  There are lots
of kooks in the NeXT community, but they manage
to keep their kookiness private.  I suggest that
Mr. Carling do the same.  

	Also, I doubt that very many members
of the Bay Area NeXT Group appreciate
Mr. Carling associating them with his 
personal extremism.  
  

--
	Oliver Johns, Physics Dept.
	San Francisco State University
	San Francisco, CA 94132, U.S.A.
	<ojohns@bodhi.sfsu.edu>
	NeXT (or non-NeXT) Mail accepted.
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.software
From: tlm@nextasy.physics.mcmaster.ca  (Tom Marchioro)
Subject: Re: What is Stuart?
Organization: McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 19:47:19 GMT

In article <1992Aug21.133513.25309@Arco.COM> dprcta@inetg1.ARCO.COM (Craig  
Artley) writes:
In article <HARDY.92Aug20234311@golem.ps.uci.edu>, hardy@golem.ps.uci.edu
(Meinhard E. Mayer (Hardy)) writes:
>> 
>> Stuart is a GREAT shareware VT100 emulator written by Scott Hess.
>> Pick it up, try it out and send Scott your registration!
>> No one should leave his NeXT without it,
>
>What can I do with Stuart that I can't do with Terminal?
>A concise list of the advantages and features might entice
>me into checking it out.

Well, tuart 2.4 comes with an online manual, which has a section called
features that tells you of the things you can do wih Stuart you can't do  
in terminal.  It's a *very* large section of the manual.  Rather than  
repeat all of the stuff, I'll just give the titles of the subsections of  
the Features section of the manual:

Altenrative Arrow
Environment File
Mouse FocusServices
Site Preferences
Stuartrc
Directory
OSC
Schelf
Drag&Drop
Filename Pasting

Each of these has about a page of text (sometimes more) describing the  
extra features.  Given the large number it's probably best if you snarf  
Stuart, read through the manual, and then make your own decision.

Hope this is Helpful

Tom
From: brunkhorst@mayo.edu (Geoff Brunkhorst)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.software
Subject: Re: mail program: how to change default # of columns in send window
Date: 13 Aug 92 20:42:46 GMT
Reply-To: brunkhorst@mayo.edu
Organization: Mayo Foundation, Rochester MN. Campus

In article <16ea5aINN69o@agate.berkeley.edu>  
sandell@chowning.CNMAT.Berkeley.EDU (Gregory J. Sandell) writes:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> There is a problem I have with the NeXT mail program which drives me  
> crazy.  For some reason, Send windows (when in Non-NEXT format) have a  
> default of 70 columns per line.  This is true on my machine, at least.
> 
> Alot of text I send in mail comes from files that were created in  
> 80-column format...that is there are returns/linefeeds in the text to make  
> it conform to no more than 80 characters per line.  Whenever I paste that  
> into a Send window, it reformats it to 70 columns and keeps the  
> return/linefeeds exactly where they were; this looks ugly to say the  
> least.  For heavens sake, isn't there a way to change this default to 80  
> columns? 

yes... install Version 3.0 when you get it.

or yes. switch to NeXTmail with a fixed font and set your window to 80 
characters wide.  Then paste in your mail.  (how to set your window
to 80 characters... My mail font is the same font as my Stuart font,
thus I size my window to the same size as my Stuart.

> I couldn't find a way to do this in the preferences dialog for  
> Mail.

because it isn't possible under 2.x.  period.  I have tried.  NeXT
says... "wait for 3.0".

-Geoff
---------------------------------------------------------------
Geoffrey Brunkhorst, RCF                    brunkhorst@Mayo.edu
Guggenheim 10                                    (507) 284-1805
Mayo Foundation, Rochester MN, 55905 USA     fax (507) 284-5231 
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.software
From: uunet!mwhhlaw!bob (Robert L. Hartley Jr.)
Subject: Re: Mesa --- lack of database functionality
Reply-To: bob@mwhhlaw.com
Organization: Martin Wade Hartley & Hollingsworth
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 17:59:59 GMT

In article <1992Aug20.150304.10018@dpp> dpp@athena.com (David Pollak)  
writes:
... Stuff deleted ...

David, I think your points are very well taken, except,

> why don't you buy a database (like Sybase)?

Have you priced that sucker lately?

Nevertheless, since we have Sybase and plan to use it extensively, I'm  
drooling over the SQL stuff you are promising.

-- 
Bob Hartley
MARTIN, WADE, HARTLEY & HOLLINGSWORTH
P. O. Box 88676
3590 N. Meridian St.
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.software
From: shawn@monitor.com
Subject: Re: Mesa --- lack of database functionality
Reply-To: shawn@monitor.com
Organization: Monitor Company / IE
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 11:06:16 GMT

Database
Spreadsheet
Database
Spreadsheet

They're different.  Spreadsheets don't need to do the sorting and filtering  
that databases do, and correspondingly don't have those capabilities.  Adding  
such functionality is kind of silly.  The only reasons that Lotus has the  
"database" (and I use the term loosely) capabilities it does is because some  
gigantic chunk of companies in the world run their ENTIRE businesses with  
Lotus 123, and Lotus sort of obliged them back in 80-something.

What about using DataPhile - I hear that a command line interface is being  
added to it.

My two cents for this quarter-second.
Shawn Broderick
shawn@monitor.com

Ivo Welch writes
>
>I have been trying to  convince Athena  Design to include a Unix   
command-line
>file reader. That is, a utility  that reads a  Mesa spreadsheet and outputs  
an
>ASCII data file (i.e. a command line equivalent of "save as text"). That  
would
>allow me to use Mesa to keep all my databases,  and  to  have  S or other  
Unix
>filters operate on a  database; or to dial  in and look  at the contents of  
my
>spreadsheets. (Even nicer if  there was an  update  mechanism.) Note that  
this
>cannot be accomplished through Mesa's API.
>
>Athena Design sees no demand for this  feature, although it would require  
only
>minimal effort to implement.   Perhaps  more  requests could  convince   
Athena
>Design otherwise. I very much like their spreadsheet, and would want to use  
it
>for real work.
>
>/ivo welch
From: sandell@chowning.CNMAT.Berkeley.EDU (Gregory J. Sandell)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.software
Subject: Re: WhichX?
Date: 21 Aug 92 04:03:44 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
NNTP-Posting-Host: chowning.cnmat.berkeley.edu

In article <1992Aug20.144448.15125@dvorak.amd.com> mbehrens@barqs.amd.com  
(Mikael Behrens) writes:
> In article <1992Aug19.203442.21031@tandem.com>  
> chopper@gumbytsg.tandem.com (Michael Chop) writes:
> | Hello fellow netters,
> | 
> | I will be plopping down some money on a X-package.  Could some  
> X-package users post some reviews, reccomendations, or  
> experience with them.  
> | 
> | I understand that the three major packages are co-Xist,  
> eXodus, and cub-X.  

I don't see mention of X-mouse, which I use.  X-mouse comes from McGill  
University, and that's all I know about it.  Couldn't tell ya where to ftp  
to.  I believe it's public domain.

When you start up this X, NeXTstep vanishes and a standard-looking X  
appearance takes over the screen.  This X does everything I've needed it  
to do and I've run into few problems.  Some of the things I do are:  run S  
(a statistics/graphics package) on a sparc but use the NeXT as the  
display; run Motif/X programs from a Silicon Graphics machine with the  
NeXT as display.

You can suspend your X session and return to NeXTstep and then back again  
with special keystrokes.

There is a strange interaction with the Mail program, though.  If you  
return to X with the NeXT mail program still running, X will.  This only  
happens intermittently, though.
--
Greg Sandell
Research Fellow, Center for New Music and Audio Technologies (CNMAT)
sandell@cnmat.cnmat.berkeley.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.software
From: marcu@leland.Stanford.EDU (Marc Albert Ullman)
Subject: Re: SCSI drivers
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 92 18:03:11 GMT

In article <1992Aug18.173248.21572@leland.Stanford.EDU> m@crito.stanford.edu (M Carling) writes:
>You compare real-world tests with the drive manufacturers' claims  
>seemingly in an attempt to show that NeXT's SCSI driver is inferior to  
>that of other vendors. Please, if you want to make such a claim, test  
>NeXT's SCSI performance against someone else's SCSI performance, not  
>against claimed theoretical performance.

I would not exactly call "disk / read" a "real-world" test.  How much more
ideal can you get?  Also, I'm not claiming that other *UNIX* SCSI driver's
are necessarily good--simply that NeXT's could stand some improvement.

>This is correct. NeXT currently supports neither sychronous SCSI nor  
>tagged command queueing. I unsuccessfully lobbied to have them included in  
>3.0.

That makes two of us.

> Before NeXT will support these SCSI features, they will put every  
>type of hard drive that they ever shipped through qualification testing to  
>make sure that implementing them won't "break" anyone's system. I am  
>confident, however, that NeXT will eventually support these features.

I woould have preferred to see them put it in but be disabled by default
so that adventuresome users could have enabled it at their own risk.

--Marc
Xref: sparky comp.sys.next.software:1270 comp.sys.next.programmer:5722
From: cgb@count0.cmhnet.org (Charles G. Bennett)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.software,comp.sys.next.programmer
Subject: New SerialSolutions demo on archives.
Keywords: Serial Objects
Date: 20 Aug 92 15:12:43 GMT
Reply-To: cgb@count0.cmhnet.org
Organization: BenaTong

I have just uploaded a demo version of SerialSolutions 2.0
to the archive site at purdue.   

It's currently in the submissions directory and named

SerialSolutions2.0Demo.tar.Z

The objects are fully functional, but expire in 10 mins.
Full spec sheets are included.

In a nut shell, we have added quite a few additional methods to the
base Serial object.

Added a New Modem subclass that handles "Hayes" style modems (you can define  
your own however).

Added a Reader Subclass for talking to barcode and magcard readers. (Source for  
this is included as an example of subclassing the Serial object).

Added support for YRRID Inc's TTYDSP drivers, including the non-standard  
baudrate support. (This was announced by YRRID a few weeks ago.)

For those of you who missed it.  TTYDSP creates a third high speed serial port  
on the NeXT by using the DSP.

Comments are most welcome.

Chuck Bennett



-- 
Chuck Bennett, BenaTong Consulting
Harem Security (UNIX Consulting :-) )
cgb@count0.cmhnet.org
From: steve@ion.rice.edu (Steve Ludtke)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.software
Subject: New version of Plot3D - OOPS!!!
Keywords: plot,3d,graphics,math
Date: 18 Aug 1992 17:48:03 GMT
Reply-To: steve@ion.rice.edu
Organization: Rice University


Oops. When I was commenting the source, I missed a minor bug that slipped into
the new version of Plot3D. I forgot to re-parse an object in IB, resulting in  
the fact that zooming won't work in the density plot window. I've fixed the  
problem and uploaded the corrected version to sonata and ion (with the same  
name). Sorry for the inconvenience ... 

--------
Steve Ludtke		- One of these days
steve@ion.rice.edu	- I'm going to make
ludtke@physics.rice.edu - a real .sig file.
77235,1732 : Compuserve
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.software
From: randyj@outback.sbs.ohio-state.edu (Randy Jackson)
Subject: WordPerfect Development Continues
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 15:39:11 GMT


At the urging of others on the net, I have just spoken with
Brent McKinley, product marketing director for the
unix division of WordPerfect.  He stated that the
decision has been made to continue the development of WP
for the NeXT.  He added that the next WP product will be "next
generation," and not a current version upgrade.

He also suggested that interested parties might contact
Gordon Mella (product manager) at 801-228-7284 for
additional information, although there really won't be
much additional info for a month or two.

--
____________________________________________________________________
|  Randy Jackson, Assoc. Prof.|  internet address: jackson+@osu.edu|
|  Geography, OSU             |  Assoc. Dir. of Research Computing |
|  103 Bricker ,190 No. Oval  |  Office of Academic Computing, OSU |       
|  Columbus, Ohio 43210-1361  |  1224 Kinnear Rd.,  Suite 130      |                          
|  614 292-7998, 292-6553     |  Columbus, Ohio,43212-1154         |
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.software
From: speters@dvlseq.us.oracle.com (Stephen Peters)
Subject: Word Processing Programs -- Evaluations requested?
Organization: Oracle World HQ, Redwood Shores, California
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 18:09:25 GMT
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by an unauthenticated user
              at Oracle Corporation.  The opinions expressed are those
              of the user and not necessarily those of Oracle.

Hi!  I'm looking at getting a NeXT fairly (very) soon, and will soon be in
need of a good, solid word processing program.  I've used WordPerfect on 
the PC, and I've been quite pleased with it, but I've heard some negative
things about thier NeXT version.  So, I'm seeking input on word processing
programs.  The ones I currently know of are Write by Appsoft, WordPerfect
by WordPerfect, FrameMaker (by Frame?), and PasteUp by RightBrain.

What I'm searching for is both good and bad points for the programs noted
above, plus any others I may have missed.  What does the program do well?
What does it do really badly?  Will WordPerfect be supporting NeXT in the
future (I've heard that they're developing on NeXTs, but that doesn't mean
they're going to want to release if the market's too small).  Please e-mail
to me, and I'll summarize to the net.

Stephen Peters
speters@us.oracle.com
Oracle Corporation
My views have nothing to do with Oracle's views.  If you think they do, then
I know a really cheap bridge in Brooklyn that I could sell you...


Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.software
From: randy@appsoft.com (Randy Adams)
Subject: Re: Free Appsoft Draw
Keywords: Appsoft Draw
Reply-To: randy@appsoft.com
Organization: Appsoft, Inc.
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 15:49:11 GMT

In article <1992Aug17.092120.16171@urz.unibas.ch>  writes:
> Nice, and now for some fire from abroad: (also mailed directly)
> 
> Have you (AppSoft) fixed the damm problems with the "forreign" characters? I  
> WANT TO TYPE UMLAUTS! It won't work in AppsoftDraw - it worked in the last  
> release of Draw ...
> 
> And: how doy you think we (from outside the USA) are to reach you at the  
1-800  
> number??????? 


Ouch!  Problem noted.  Problem results from a decision by Media Logic to write  
their own text engine and then not supporting localization completely.  We are  
in the process of fixing this and will get you (and everyone else) a free  
update as soon as this is fixed.

About the 800 number, I wish the telephone companies could offer 800 number  
support throughout the world, but it is currently not possible.   You can  
either email us at register@appsoft.com or call us on our direct toll line  
415-802-2900.

randy adams
randy@appsoft.com
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.software
From: hketola@agsm.ucla.edu (Heikki Ketola)
Subject: Re: Free Appsoft Draw
Date: 19 Aug 92 15:09:51 PDT

pseymour@appsoft.com (Peter Seymour) writes:

>In article <hketola.714109114@uclagsm> hketola@agsm.ucla.edu (Heikki Ketola)  
>writes:
>> When can we expect a working version of Draw that supports even approximately 
>> proper kerning of foreign characters? 

>You should now have it.  It was emailed to you this morning.  We will be  
>sending an update to all registered users within the next week.

>Thanks for your patience.

>Peter Seymour
>pseymour@appsoft.com

Peter promptly emailed to me a copy of Appsoft Draw version 1.02
yesterday and a quick & dirty & not very throrough test did not reveal
any problems with umlaut and foreign characters.  This is great news.
Now we foreign infidels can start using Draw.
Thanks, Peter!

Heikki Ketola
hketola@sms-usa.com
From: rob@hobbes.cuc.ab.CA (Rob Parkhill)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.software
Subject: (none)
Date: 20 Aug 92 11:04:03 GMT
Article-I.D.: hobbes.199208202304.AA01994
Organization: The Ohio State University Department of Computer and Information Science

Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.software
Subject: Re: WordPerfect Development Continues
Summary: Current users locked out?
<1992Aug18.230341.28375@morrow.stanford.edu>


>At the urging of others on the net, I have just spoken with
>Brent McKinley, product marketing director for the
>unix division of WordPerfect.  He stated that the
>decision has been made to continue the development of WP
>for the NeXT.  He added that the next WP product will be "next
>generation," and not a current version upgrade.
			^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Just Great!  I suppose this means that the current victims, oops, owners
of WP will not be able to upgrade and will be forced to buy the 'next 

generation' product at full retail.
Somebody please say that I'm wrong :(
    ---
Rob Parkhill
rob@hobbes.cuc.ab.ca
(NeXTmail preferred!)
From: sears@tree.egr.uh.edu (Paul S. Sears)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.software
Subject: Re: FYI... [ color version of PS wraps for TimeMon 2.2 ]
Date: 14 Aug 92 14:09:11 GMT
Reply-To: sears@tree.egr.uh.edu
Organization: University of Houston

In article <RHESS.92Aug13125006@consilium.COM> rhess@consilium.COM (Richard L.  
Hess) writes:
=>
=>  The following shar file contains a color version of TimeMonWraps.psw for  
use
=>with the 2.2 release of TimeMon.  Here's the list of the old and new colors
=>for the various times being measured in TimeMon;
=>
=>	  idle ----->	White		[ White      ]
=>	  nice ----->	Light Gray	[ Dark Green ]
=>	  user ----->	Dark Gray	[ Gold       ]
=>	system ----->	Black		[ Red        ]
=>
=>  It's probably not the greatest color scheme but it works for me.
=>
=>Dick...
=>

Has this version been updated to work under 3.0????  I have never been able to  
successfully launch TimeMon under 3.0 PR1 & PR2...

=>+----------------------------------------------------------
=>WHO:	Richard Hess	[ Staff Engineer ]
=>CORP:	Consilium Inc,	640 Clyde Court, Mtn View, CA 94043
=>VOICE:	[415] 691-6342
=>EMAIL:	rhess@consilium.COM  <-----------------[ NeXTmail ]

--
Paul S. Sears                *  sears@uh.edu (NeXT Mail OK)
The University of Houston    *  suggestions@tree.egr.uh.edu (NeXT
Engineering Computing Center *  comments, complaints, questions)
NeXT System Administration   *  DoD#1967 '83 NightHawk 650SC 
          >>> SSI Diving Certification #755020059 <<<
"Programming is like sex: One mistake and you support it a lifetime."
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.software
From: jeffo@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (J.B. Nicholson-Owens)
Subject: Re: What DTP/WP do tables (other than Frame)?
Reply-To: jeffo@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 00:28:55 GMT

ctm@ardi.com (Clifford T. Matthews) writes:
>There's always Microsoft Word 5 under Executor.

I have so many things I need in my documents that Word cannot do it
makes Word nothing more than a toy to me.  Frame is useless due to
it's many crashes and sudden logouts.

I would also prefer a DTP that was made for the NeXT and uses NeXT GUI
features to the full, hence the reason I use a NeXT.

No offence, I think that your product is fine, but I have yet to see a
DTP that fulfills all my needs (and my suggestions are easily done
with the thought that went into products like Word and Frame).
-- 
-- Jeff (jeffo@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu)
-- No NeXTmail please
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.software
From: aj681@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Carlin Wiegner)
Subject: Internet BBSs...
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, (USA)
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 92 19:45:15 GMT


Is anybody out there running an internet BBSs?
CW
-- 
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.software