Newsgroups: bit.listserv.banyan-l
Date:         Sun, 5 Apr 1992 20:06:32 PDT
From:         HLP1%ItsLsc%CTS@CTS27.CS.PGE.COM
Subject:      re: MACs on Banyan
X-To:         BANYAN-L@VM1.CC.UAKRON.EDU
X-cc:         sotoole@umassmed.ummed.edu

Sandy,

We have been involved in the beta test of VINES 5.0 for some time.  I can
share some of the following experiences with you.

Network Cards

We are using Asante Ethernet cards as well as Apple Ethernet cards in our
Macs.  I would not recommend the Asante cards because their technical support
is awful.  Any Ethernet card that works in the Mac can be used.  Same goes for
the server.

Local Talk

We originally were using the DAYNA Talk PC card in the VINES server for Local
Talk.  This card is not supported, even though the documentation states that
it is.  We had to switch to the Dayna Talk DL2000.  This card worked fine.  I
would recommend this card because there was a lot of confusion between Banyan
and Dayna about why the Dayna Talk PC card would not work.  Once we installed
the DL2000 card, things went smoothly.  You can hang a Apple printer on the
local talk network connected to the VINES server and print to it from a
MAC or PC that is on Ethernet connected to the VINES server.

Printing

We have tested an Apple Lasser Writer IIg with an Ethernet connection and a
Apple Laser IINTX on Local Talk.  Both work fine. Mac's and PC's running VINES
can print to these printers.  We were not so lucky with a QMS-PS 410 printer.
This did not work.  Banyan says that this printer does not conform to the PAP
protocol.  They are coming up with a patch to support this printer.  My take
on all of this is that VINES 5.0 may not be fully compatible with many
printers out there that are currently working in a Mac environment.  I would
not take anything for granted and would test any printer out before investing.

Mail

The Mac mail is OK.  Seems to be slow.  The 6000 character limit on the body
of an email message does not exist on the Mac.  You can send a mail message
that is bigger than what can be read on a PC.  You have to save it to a file
on the PC and browse it to see the whole thing.  We use Quick Mail for the
Macs right now.  The big feature that are Quick Mail users want under VINES
Mac Mail is the conferencing feature.  They have become adicted to that.

System 7.0.1

VINES is supported on Macs running System 6.0.7 or greater. We are running
Macs with both 6.0.7 and syste, 7.0.  One problem we had recently was with
7.0.1.  We couldn't get VINES Mac mail or the utilities to run.  You could
double click on the Icon and it would look like it was going to expand to the
mail screen but it would shrink back to the Icon.  No error message or
anything to indicate a problem.  The release notes mentioned that there was a
known problem with the way some 7.0.1 systems are installed.  It suggested
reinstalling System 7.  That did the trick.

IBM Connectivity

VINES 5.0 does not provide SNA services on the Mac.  The new VINES 3270
gateway does claim to provide Mac client support.  You need to run some form
of AppleTalk on the gateway (which is not a server).  I have not tested this
so can't give you any feedback.

Hope this helps!

Herb Patten - PG&E
hlp1@cs.pge.com
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU