Very Computer

is there anybody out there who could give a comment on WinDD and/or WinCenter?

* Are they a reasonable alternative to Wabi or are they even the better
  solution for Solaris afficionados who sometimes need to use Windows software?

* will WinDD and WinCenter turn a PC into a dedicated server, or is it
  possible to share it between remote users and a local user?

Regards
--

GLUE Software Engineering, Ralligweg 10, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
Phone: (++41) 31 305 03 11 Fax: (++41) 31 301 44 33

:is there anybody out there who could give a comment on WinDD and/or WinCenter?
:
:* Are they a reasonable alternative to Wabi or are they even the better
:  solution for Solaris afficionados who sometimes need to use Windows software?

I'd submit they are better solutions.

:* will WinDD and WinCenter turn a PC into a dedicated server, or is it
:  possible to share it between remote users and a local user?

It's possible, but it's not the mode of operations that I'd recommend.
This is designed for NT Server...  a fair chunk of resources for one's
desktop.  

--

 InterNIC WHOIS: MJO                                 http://www.coast.net/~mjo

"If you don't get a good night kiss, you get Kafka dreams."            -Hobbes

WinCenter is faster than WinDD (at least on Sparc 5, IPX, LX) for most
operations, at least if your network has sufficient bandwidth for X11
applications. WinDD sends compressed data across the line, WinCenter is
pure X11. Both products rely on the same NT multiuser extensions (WinFrame).

Quote:>* will WinDD and WinCenter turn a PC into a dedicated server, or is it
>  possible to share it between remote users and a local user?

Let me know if you need to know more.

Regards,
Jiri

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For what reasons?  For me wabi does everything I need for free.  All I need
is to run Quicken and MS Office at home and MS Office at work.  This is
what Wabi was designed to do, and it does it well.  I have used DOS emulators
under UNIX to run these, and IMHO wabi just seems to work better (for what
I do).  If, on the other hand, you need a windows environment which will
run _any_ windows app, then wabi is not the right solution.

Also, there is Wabi Server for sites which want to set up a "windows
application server" ie. run all windows app on a SMP server and display
the app on an Xterminal.  Again, YMMV.

<... snip ...>

rh

|> Hi
|>
|> is there anybody out there who could give a comment on WinDD and/or WinCenter?
|>
|> * Are they a reasonable alternative to Wabi or are they even the better
|>   solution for Solaris afficionados who sometimes need to use Windows software?
|>
|> * will WinDD and WinCenter turn a PC into a dedicated server, or is it
|>   possible to share it between remote users and a local user?
|>
|> Regards

We evaluated both. Both are vastly better then WABI. WinCenter is a bit
faster, but WinDD seems to support some applications (mainly DOS) better.
Try them both out with your suite of apps to see if they work. Both
support network printing and NFS mounting of directories from remote servers.

It will be an NT machine, and you may be able to use it for a local user
as well, however, I'd advise just spending the $2500 or so and get a
standalone machine that is used as a server.

--
____________________________________________________________________________
Doug Hughes                                     Engineering Network Services
System/Net Admin                                Auburn University

--
  /--------------------------------------------------------------------------\
  | Mark A. Davis     | Lake Taylor Hospital | Norfolk,VA (804)-461-5001x431 |

  \--------------------------------------------------------------------------/

--
  /--------------------------------------------------------------------------\
  | Mark A. Davis     | Lake Taylor Hospital | Norfolk,VA (804)-461-5001x431 |

  \--------------------------------------------------------------------------/

Tim

We then had a group that got WinDD.  It was much better than wabi in terms
of ease of use and it is faster computationally.  The screen updates
were slower.  Basically, WinDD requires special software on all the clients.
This is just plain stupid.  I can't say anything good about the bozo at Tek
who came up with that idea.  This has been changed now that there is a newer
version of WinDD.

Then we got Wincenter.  The group which was trying out WinDD immediately returned
their copy to Tek.  WinCenter is _many_ times faster and it can be used from anywhere.
I've personally opened WinCenter windows (using an rsh) while at UW-Madison
while the server was located here on Long Island.  Others have used it from Oak
Ridge and Fermilab.  Everyone was amazed by how fast it is.  There are currently
7 people logged on to the system.  It runs Office 95....which is to say that it is
better than Merge because its running NT.  WinCenter prints to our unix lpd print
servers.  The only problems that we've had with WinCenter have been with Microsoft bugs
in NT.  Indeed, we've been able to crash NT quite nicely.  It isn't as solid as Solaris
in that regard.

It is very nice to be using Unix systems for the number crunching and memory
intensive stuff and then pop-up an NT window to use Word, Excel and even Netscape
Gold.  As an example, we can E-mail around MS app related documents and then
with Netscape Mail, click on the mime attached document and have a Wincenter
window startup the relevant app and load the mime-attached document.  Anyway,
enough hype; we're happy customers.

P.S. our server is a p5-133 with 64MB of ram.  Another group on site is using
a dual p5-166 with 128Mb of ram.

Check out http://www.ncd.com/ for more details.

--

Mark, mind explaining in detail why you think Locus Merge is "far, far
superior" to WinDD?

Regards,

John
--

Computing Disciplines Facility Systems Manager            Phone: 416-978-1928
University of Toronto                                     Fax:   416-978-1931
http://www.cdf.toronto.edu/~jdd

writes:

Quote:> We have evaluated both.  We decided to go with wincenter:

>    1: Faster than WINDD
>    2: Both were better than wabi.  (emulation vs native)
>    3: Both are multiuser
>    4: Wincenter uses X to do graphics
>    5: Wincenter will have support for local floppy access
>    6: Better support for copy/paste between desktop/windows

> And the list goes on......

We just got WinDD and it appears to come with Netmanage's NFS.  I've heard
Integraph's NFS is quite good.  I use Netmanage's Chameleon on one of my
Intel's at home.  Being a M$-bigot ... I'm a bit in the dark - especially in
the NT arena..

We do NEED to gain access to the NIS maps we run on our Sun net.  NT does not
appear to have ANY third-party answers for this - goes against all of NT's
"features" (anyone want to get stranded on an island?).  This implies a need
to periodically import NIS maps onto the NT and .... re-invent the wheel? or
use a generic account (GREAT security!) and write some scripts to "automount"
the users directory from the NFS server to the NT.

Somewhere this does not sound right.  Am I missing something?

Rich Goodwin

        1: Faster than WINDD
        2: Both were better than wabi.  (emulation vs native)
        3: Both are multiuser
        4: Wincenter uses X to do graphics
        5: Wincenter will have support for local floppy access
        6: Better support for copy/paste between desktop/windows

And the list goes on......

   If you are not in the lead your view never changes.

|>

Quote:|> writes:

|>
|> We do NEED to gain access to the NIS maps we run on our Sun net.  NT does not
|> appear to have ANY third-party answers for this - goes against all of NT's
|> "features" (anyone want to get stranded on an island?).  This implies a need
|> to periodically import NIS maps onto the NT and .... re-invent the wheel? or
|> use a generic account (GREAT security!) and write some scripts to "automount"
|> the users directory from the NFS server to the NT.

Correct, no NIS.  However, it might be possible to integrate the Samba
WINS directory service with your existing service. However, you still would
have to (in their current incarnation) update the usernames and passwords
manually on your WinDD or WinCenter machines. Yeah.. it's a pain..
That's why we're only doing it for a small group of people that need the
extended DOS/Windows and have sun's on their desk.

 Hopefully NT will support NIS. But given MicroSloth's track record on
standards comformance, I wouldn't hold my breath. On the other hand, I
wouldn't put it past NCD or Tektronix to integrate in NIS to either or
both on their own.  They may even have a schedule for this of which
I am unaware. Check with your salescritter. :)

--
____________________________________________________________________________
Doug Hughes                                     Engineering Network Services
System/Net Admin                                Auburn University

NIS would be the way to go inorder to keep the users base
synced between UNIX and NT.

I have looked around on the Net.  I have found just about
anything and everything you would want for a NT machine except
for one thing. That would be NIS.  
So until someone comes out with NIS for NT or some
brave soul decides to port NIS it may be awhile... ;-(

   If you are not in the lead your view never changes.

Where can I get information on this product?

Quote:> Again, I would recommend Locus Merge.  It runs under *UNIX* and does everything.
> (including MS-DOS and MS-win Enhanced.... Win95 is being worked on now).