Apple Wedding Dec As Well As IBM

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The latest trends in Apple connectivity for: Mac Appc, Mac 3270, AppleTalk, Touch Osi Macintosh, coprocessor platform, and features

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The tendency to open the market, becomes increasingly evident in the policies of Apple, while the California-based company is trying to conquer market space with the world’s principal users, conformity to the dictates of IBM and Digital still reigns unchallenged. These are the trends that are deduced from the latest Apple announcements in the field of connectivity, spanning six new products, dedicated mainly towards the integration of the Macintosh with the IBM 3270 environment and with the VMS operating system on Digital machines. Among those changes that stand out is the Mac APPC, software that aims to carve out a space for the Macintosh in peer-to-peer processing networks that make up an essential part of the computing architecture that IBM proposes to distribute. This indirect support of this strategic IBM policy, with which the trio APPC-Sna-Saa will attempt to consolidate its monopoly in the world of enterprise computing, seems somewhat at odds with the spirit of an agreement reached by Apple and Digital for the development of a common network environment based on X-Windows (which we discussed in the last issue of PCWeek). However, before making any judgments, it is best we examine the availability of these new products in Italy, where we see that there is no precise indication regarding actual availability, while publication of the details of the new mixed Apple-Dec architecture will be revealed in August. In the meantime, let’s take a look at the latest announcements.

First of all, it is said, is the arrival of MacAppc, software that uses communication protocols Lu 6.2 and Pu 2.1, enabling the development of distributed applications are can advantage of the processing power of the mainframe while using the friendliness of the Macintosh interface. Apple’s version of the Logical6.2, as has been emphasized in announcements, is the first version of APPC that, although it was developed by a competitor, has received IBM’s certification. Following along the same product line is Mac 3270, software for asynchronous communication in 3270 mode capable of functioning in conjunction with computers managed by MVS VTAM, GCS VTAM and Vm operating systems. This package, developed by Canadian software house Simware, allows for the exchange of files between Macintosh and IBM mainframe via serial line or by telephone and emulates the 3270 terminal screen and works in tandem with the Sim 3278, a program that Simware has created for the conversion of mainframe protocols. AppleTalk for VMS, is instead a software system that operates as if it were a subprocess of the VMS operating system,currently installed on the majority of the mini Vax Digital Equipment. With the use of this product, Vax becomes an AppleTalk network server (running on the twisted pair) or EtherTalk (running on coaxial cable), and it is possible to manage different terminals and some functions of remote printing.

Touch Osi Macintosh Developers Kit and Macintosh Coprocessor Platform are two products that are a bit special dedicated primarily to the system and the software house. The first serves to create applications that put the Macintosh in communication with standard Iso Osi networks, the second, however, is a hardware development kit software designed for those who want to create new cards for Mac II. The package includes a Motorola 68000 processor at 10 MHz, 512 Kbytes of RAM and a NuBus interface, as well as multitasking software system with real time , which acts as a support to the operating system of the Mac II. Based on this development, it will be easier for third parties and for Apple itself to design cards precisely for specific needs. The processors installed on any of these peripheral cards will operate almost independently in relation to that of the central cpu, thus helping to increase the overall power of the machine while augmenting the response times for critical applications, such as, for example, the evolved desktop publishing, the Cad, processing of images, the management of hypertexts, and so on.

Roberto Mazzoni