NeXT Computer Inc’s new version of its NeXTstep object-oriented operating system for Intel Corp hardware will support Insignia Solutions Ltd’s SoftPC with Windows 3.1 and MS-DOS 5.0 pre-installed. NeXT is the first to use Insignia’s new technology. This means that NeXTstep users will be able to use legacy Microsoft Corp MS-DOS and Windows applications these will run as separate tasks in their own right and sit in a separate window. Customers will be able to cut and paste between the two environments. NeXTstep also includes added drivers – and NeXT desperately needs to support more hardware. To help cross this hurdle, it has come up with DriverKit, an object-oriented framework that apparently enables developers to write Unix drivers faster with significantly less code than usual. It also includes public application programming interfaces, which support sound, SCSI, graphics and local network devices via dynamically loadable drivers. In addition, 3.2 provides full support for 32-bit colour graphics for the first time. It is backwards-compatible with version 3.1 and will be available from mid-November. Although free for existing 3.1 customers, it will cost $800 for a one-user deployment licence if you register before October 31, and $200 for users of earlier NeXTstep versions. A one-user developers licence is $2,000, free for 3.1 customers and UKP500 for users of older versions. The Redwood City, California-based company also plans a native implementation of the NeXTstep environment for Hewlett-Packard Co Precision Architecture RISC-based workstations in the second quarter of 1994, and intends to release the first version of its PDO Portable Distributed Objects software for Hewlett-Packard’s HP 9000 Unix server line on November 15.
AViiON version next on list
Portable Distributed Objects will essentially sit on top of HP-UX 9.0 and enable customers to use NeXT objects and class libraries. The company has uncoupled the NeXTstep graphical user interface from the object engine, which means it can run on Hewlett servers, linked to either iAPX-86-based or NeXT client machines. As a result, application performance improves because most operating system processing is carried out on the server. Portable Distributed Objects should also make it easier to develop enterprise object services. PC Week says a Portable Distributed Objects developers’ kit for HP 9000s will ship next month, but reckons a version of the technology for Data General Corp’s AViiON servers is next on the list. After that, the most likely candidates are Sun Microsystems Inc Sparcservers, PC Week says, but the firm is also discussing versions with three other server vendors, including NCR Corp and IBM Corp. Meanwhile, NeXT has introduced an Object Channel programme for systems integrators. Members will jointly sell NeXTstep with NeXT; get fixed-price contracts at a lower cost; receive two copies of NeXTstep Developer and NeXTstep for iAPX-86-based machines as well as one free upgrade; an engineering scholarship to the Object University; discounts for product resale; discounts on additional copies of NeXTstep, and training and one year’s free hotline support in addition.
