On 23 Jan 99, at 22:59, Bob Chapel wrote:

> 3. @40 "Dumb" Wyse50 Terminals attach directly (well not
> exactly...they are telneting in to the server using "kermit" I
> believe (I am rather a bit in the dark about the hows and whys of
> dumb terminals)

> A few quick questions:
>
> 1.)Is the Netware Server redundant?  Can't Win NT be installed on
> top of UNIX?

> The Netware server provides file storage/security for the 15 or so
> users who need programs not available on the UNIX machine

  UNIX, NT and Netware are all OSes.  Each has its own range of supported
hardware, and its own ideas about what executable binary files look like.
There *is* a tool included with NT Server which would allow you to
migrate files and users from the NetWare machine to an NT Server box,
but that may not be an option if your users rely on any NetWare-
specific (executed on server) applications.

> 2.) Has anyone used x-windows? Is it user friendly? (I have a lot of
> non-typing computer phobes to train who know only how to point and
> click ... if it won't use up too many network resources I would just
> as soon give them a GUI (We can't afford to give them all updated
> machines at this point so Win95 is really not an option yet)


The Wyse 50 is a DCE device I think (data communications equipment), it talks
to a computer much like an external modem does.  They are easily replaced
with a PC by attaching the network connection to the PC serial port.  No NIC
needed.  The Wyse serial port will not match up pin for pin with a PC, but the
crossover is not a big issue.  The PC will need an emulation program like Kermit,
which establishes a network connection as though it were a dial-up connection,
and then emulates the escape sequences used by the Wyse for screen and keyboard
control so the PC can make sense of it.  Under the Unix server you could probably
configure the connections for ANSI terminals (VT220), which makes the emulation
issue simpler, but this will all be covered in the documentation for the PC terminal
emulator SW.  I would be taking the Wyse out of service as they fail and replacing
them with PC's.  The only disadvantage is desk footprint, since a dumb terminal
can be pretty compact.  My old 486's from 1992 were Y2K compliant so far as
they rolled over to 1/1/2000 on New Year's Eve.  They didn't deal correctly with leap
years, and they all eventually reached an arbitrary end date, like 2010, when the
clock goes haywire, according to the testing freeware I used.  An old 486 shouldn't last
long enough for that to matter if you were to use them, would it?

My sister's brokerage office just sold 50 IBM microchannel PC's for $50.00 each.
They are not worth even $50.00 for a home PC, but they would be perfect
replacements for dumb terminals, and will run win95, just barely.

Tom Turak

         The PCBUILD web site always needs good submissions.  If
          you would like to contribute to the website, send any
               hardware tech tips or hardware reviews to:
                           [log in to unmask]