Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 UW 5/3/83; site uw-beaver Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!cbosgd!cbdkc1!desoto!packard!hoxna!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!laser-lovers From: laser-lovers@uw-beaver (laser-lovers) Newsgroups: fa.laser-lovers Subject: Message-ID: <1794@uw-beaver> Date: Wed, 26-Sep-84 16:55:59 EDT Article-I.D.: uw-beave.1794 Posted: Wed Sep 26 16:55:59 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 4-Oct-84 02:05:55 EDT Sender: root@uw-beave Organization: U of Washington Computer Science Lines: 35 From: andrew%ucbernie@Berkeley (Andrew R. Cherenson) Reply to mark@tove Re: Comments about Talaris Systems I have had experience with the Talaris Systems 1200. The Talrais 1200 is really a QMS 1200 except that the PROM fonts from QMS have been replaced with improved ones. You can select which fonts to place in the machine, whereas QMS does not provide this option. I have found that the people at Talaris are very knowledgable about the QMS products they OEM. In fact, they seem to know more than QMS does. They do have a close working relationship with QMS and several features in the QMS QUIC codes were added at Talaris's request. They support software and fonts for Tex, Latex, Troff, Scribe and MASS-11 on VMS, UNIX and TOPS-10(or 20?) systems. For Tex, they have over 70 fonts available. I understand they are working on a font daemon for VMS and have one already for UNIX. They also supply a CALCOMP-compatible plotting package and an integrated text/graphics program called QDRIVE (which is expensive, ~$10K, but powerful). Their software support is responsive -- they welcome feedback on their software. They can put any font into a PROM. QMS also has PROM fonts but QMS charges about $250 vs $100 for Talaris and Talaris fits more fonts into a PROM than QMS. If you got the $$, they will use 64K PROMS so you put a large number of fonts on the machine (e.g. most TeX fonts). They also provide some hardware support and can make custom fonts. You can purchase their software separately from the hardware but you pay more for it. These observations are based on my experience over the past year, though some of my price information is probably out-of-date. Overall, I'd say the quality of their product is excellent. Andy Cherenson