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Mail Archives: djgpp/1998/07/26/12:00:23

From: Weiqi Gao <weiqigao AT a DOT crl DOT com>
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp,comp.lang.java.programmer
Subject: Re: DJGPP and Sun's Java PC 1.0
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 1998 14:53:05 +0000
Organization: CRL Network Services
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To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
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Joshua Heyer wrote:
> 
> Weiqi Gao wrote:
> 
> > 3. I downloaded JavaPC on the recommendation of someone I know, who says
> > it is "real nice".  I'm just wondering if anyone from the DJGPP
> > community has tried the Java PC, and what your experience is.  I'll post
> > my experience to this group if you are interested.
> 
>    Yea, I'm interested.  What is JavaPC anyway?

Java PC is a product that Sun sells for about $100.  In concept, it's
paralell to Windows 3.1 in that it is installed on top of DOS and turns
your DOS PC into something different.

Whereas Windows 3.1 turns your DOS PC into a Windows machine, Java PC
turns your PC into a NC (Network Computer) that is configured to run
only one Java application---the Javasoft Hot Java.

The current version requires an Ethernet card and a TCP/IP network. 
NDIS, ODI, and packet driver interfaces are supported.

Installation is simple, just like an old DOS game---everything is throw
in to a directory and that directory is put into your PATH.

Configuration is simple too.  You have to option of either configuring
your own TCP/IP parameters (IP, NET, MASK, GTWY, DNS---stand alone
mode), or using bootp (true NC mode).

Running is simple too.  You boot to DOS (if you are on Windows 95, you
have to go to DOS mode), load a network driver, and run the JAVAPC.EXE
executable.

JAVAPC.EXE would then load the JavaOS, which is bundled in with (and is
the major portion of) the JavaPC software.  The JavaOS take over almost
completely.  It throws you into a GUI mode just like Windows 3.1 did. 
You see a light blue screen with a starfield simulation running and
(something like) a program manager group with a single application icon
in the middle.

At this moment, there are only three things that you can do: a single
click on the icon starts the HotJava browser; press Ctrl+Alt+Del boots
you back to DOS; and you can resize the little program group window
around by dragging it.

As soon as Hot Java is up and running, yo are in familiar territory. 
You can go to any http page on your network.  JDK 1.1 + Swing is
supported.

Performance is comparable to HotJava running on Windows 95 on the same
machine, maybe a little faster. Everything is still redrawn three times.

I have thought about yanking out the Pentium 83 overdriver and the 32MB
mamory from the box and put back the old 486 DX/33 and 8MB of RAM just
to see how the thing behaves, but never got around of doing it.  I HAD
to play with the new KDE (the K Desktop Environment---VERY COOL) and Qt
(non-free ;[ ) on the Linux box, sorry.

JavaPC uses the familiar CWSDPMI.EXE as a DPMI server, and accesses the
DOS network drivers and other services that way.  The launcher is
compiled with DJGPP 2.0 although the JavaOS may be not.

Is it "real nice" as my friend claimed?  Yes.  Java PC is the fastest
way to get a JDK 1.1 compliant web drowser up and running on a bare DOS
PC.  The whole thing can be done in less than five minutes (four
floppies or one 4MB file)!  (As opposed to 30 minutes for Windows 3.1
(six floppies + IE or NC, you get JDK 1.0.2), or 1-2 hrs for Windows 95,
NT (90 floppies?/CD + IE or NC), or 2-4 hrs for Linux 2.0 (80 floppies?
+ NC) or ?hrs for OS/2 Warp 4).

--
Weiqi Gao
weiqigao AT a DOT crl DOT com

P.S.  People are deliberately quiet about the Java PC software.  This
review might be the only Java PC review you read on the Internet that
tells you EXACTLY what Java PC is, and how it worked.

P.P.S: Cross-posted to comp.lang.java.programmer to see if the real Java
programmers care about this at all.

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