by MainSoft Corporation has signed a license agreement to port the
Windows API library to UNIX using Microsoft's source code. This shall
be also valid for all future Windows versions.
I hope they don't port Microsoft's way of memory management, process
handling, DOS file name handling and the other rubbish, too.
But look yourself:
|> MAINSOFT SIGNS LICENSING AGREEMENT WITH MICROSOFT -----
|> License makes the Windows API a "universal" standard
|> for multiple computing platforms
|>
|> MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., March 14, 1994 -- MainSoft Corporation today
|> announced that it has signed a license agreement with Microsoft for the
|> Windows libraries for Unix. Under the terms of this multi-year agreement,
|> MainSoft can incorporate source code for current and future Windows
|> technology into its cross development tools.
|>
|> The combination of the Windows source code and MainSoft's MainWin
|> Cross-Development Kit provides a unified Windows API (application
|> programming interface) for multiple computing environments. The signing
|> of the licensing agreement furthers MainSoft's mission to enable Windows
|> software developers to offer their applications -- at minimal incremental
|> cost -- not only to the Windows and emerging Windows NT markets, but
|> also to the large installed base of Unix workstations.
|>
|> "Our goal is to promote one common API for software development," said
|> Jeff Elpern, MainSoft vice president of sales and marketing. "While we
|> reached a high level of success basing our MainWin technology on
|> published Windows specifications, our agreement with Microsoft ensures
|> that all applications ported with the MainWin Cross Development Kit will
|> be fully compatible with current versions of Windows and that we will be
|> able to offer future versions of Windows, including large and complex
|> technologies like OLE 2.0, for Unix workstations as Microsoft brings them
|> to market.
|>
|> "Our agreement with Microsoft validates the concept of cross development
|> -- that is writing one set of source code for multiple computing platforms,"
|> continued Elpern. "While this is an important agreement for MainSoft,
|> software developers will benefit the most because they will be able to reach
|> more potential customers with minimal extra investment."
|>
|> The MainWin Cross-Development Kit enables software developers to
|> separate applications from the target computing platform, in effect creating
|> a "universal API" based on the most widely used development environment.
|> Microsoft has already adopted this "single API, multiple platform"
|> approach for Windows, Windows NT and future versions of the Windows
|> operating environment. MainSoft provides an additional target platform by
|> implementing the Windows API on Unix.
|>
|> "We laud MainSoft's efforts to deliver a single API for multiple platforms,"
|> said Bob Kruger, Microsoft's director of systems marketing and standards.
|> "This enables a greater number of software developers to focus on the
|> Windows API, OLE object technology and the Microsoft Foundation Class
|> Libraries from the Visual C++ environment as the only code base they
|> need to invest in."
|>
|> The MainWin technology is an implementation of the Windows API
|> directly on Unix. Instead of emulating Windows, which adds layers of code
|> and slows performance, MainWin sits directly on Xlib and the Unix
|> operating system, resulting in faster computing speeds. Performance of all
|> applications ported to Unix with the MainWin technology is equal to or
|> greater than applications written directly for the Motif API.
|>
|> As an added benefit, end-users of MainWin-ported applications can specify
|> whether the applications have the Windows or Motif look. Workstation
|> users comfortable with Motif, for example, can use Windows productivity
|> tools without learning a new desktop environment. This feature requires
|> no additional programming by the developer.
|>
|> The MainWin technology opens up new markets for Windows application
|> developers. Currently, very few commercial software vendors have ported
|> their successful Windows applications to Unix due to the prohibitive costs.
|> By creating a "universal API" based on Windows, MainSoft enables
|> developers to take advantage of the huge installed base of Unix
|> workstations with little incremental cost.
|>
|> "The MainWin technology allows us to address the requirements of the
|> Unix market more effectively," said Bill Fuchs, president and CEO of
|> Simucad. "With MainWin, we are leveraging our advanced development
|> work under Windows and NT to create a superior graphical user interface
|> for the Unix version of our SILOS III Simulation Environment. Simucad
|> can now provide its customers with the same advanced design technology
|> for Windows, NT and Unix based engineering workstations. We believe
|> this cross-platform strategy will invariably become a major competitive
|> advantage for SILOS III."
|>
|> "The MainWin technology also will have a major impact on the Unix
|> market," said Elpern. "Unix users now have potential access to thousands
|> of high-quality, low-cost applications. And this is not just personal
|> productivity tools, but also the high-end CASE, CAD and EDA
|> applications that will bring new price/performance levels to the Unix
|> market. With the universal Windows API, a developer cannot afford to
|> write code only for the Unix market while his or her competitors are
|> efficiently developing a single code base that supports a market that is 10-
|> 15 times larger."
|>
|> The MainWin Cross Development Kit offers tools for software developers
|> to move applications written in C or C++ for Windows to any of the
|> major Unix/X-Windows workstations, including those from Hewlett-
|> Packard, IBM, Silicon Graphics and Sun Microsystems. The MainWin
|> technology also supports the Microsoft Foundation Class Library, enabling
|> object-oriented programming techniques and providing a degree of
|> portability from 16- to 32-bit versions of Windows. Commercial and MIS
|> developers can now select one object-oriented environment, Visual C++,
|> and deploy the resulting single code base on Windows or Windows NT
|> platforms with Microsoft tools, and on Unix workstations, as well as X
|> Terminals, with MainSoft Tools.
|>
|> MainSoft Corporation provides a new cross-development paradigm that
|> enables software developers to use a single code base to reach multiple
|> computer operating environments. MainSoft's MainWin technology
|> provides a native port to Unix using the Windows API.
|>
|> # # # #
|>
|> MainSoft and MainWin are trademarks of MainSoft Corporation.
|> Windows, Windows NT and OLE are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
|> All other products and product names mentioned are trademarks or
|> registered trademarks of their respective companies.
|>
|> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|> Jeff Elpern 883 N.Shoreline Blvd., Suite C-100
|> Mainsoft Corporation Mountain View, CA 94040
|> (415)966-0605 (415)966-0600 Fax:(415)966-0613
|> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|>
Thomas Odorfer
Communications Test
Schlumberger Technologies, Munich, Germany