SunSoft Inc’s scatter-gun approach to running Windows applications under Unix is remarkably similar to Hewlett-Packard Co’s view of the world (CI No 2,424) – minus, of course, the latter’s 500 series hardware-software combination. Last week, the Sun Microsystems Inc subsidiary upgraded its full clutch of products in that area. First upgrades included version 2.1 of its Windows-under-Unix Wabi translator, which runs on a range of systems and costs from $225. The 2.1 release provides additional support for some multimedia functions – PowerPoint or Freelance users can add sound and video to slide presentations, for example. It also supports Open Database Connectivity standards for accessing Oracle or Sybase databases from Microsoft Corp’s Access or Lotus Development Corp’s Approach. And like Hewlett-Packard, SunSoft claims to outperform Tektronix Inc’s WinDD, estimating Wabi 2.1 to be at least three and a half times faster than the rival product, which uses extensions to Windows NT to run native Windows code over X Window. Wabi 2.1 supports 25 of the most widely-used Windows applications. Next, the company has put Locus Computing Corp’s Merge 3.2.1 up under its Solaris iAPX-86 Unix-on-Intel operating system. Merge creates a virtual iAPX-86 environment on the host for running MS-DOS, Windows and their standard-mode binaries. As well as sharing data and cut-and-paste between Solaris, MS-DOS and Windows applications, Merge provides them with access to Solaris printers. The two companies have also extended their development agreement. SunSoft has added a new version of its 80486DX2 co-processor board – the single-slot Sbus board now sporting a 66MHz Intel Corp 80486 – for running MS-DOS and Windows applications that won’t run under Wabi, on Sparcstations. The board supports SunPC 3.1 software for Solaris 1.X and SunPC 4.1 for Solaris 2.X, which are based on Insignia Solutions Ltd’s SoftPC emulator. SunSoft has also added its own interfaces to Insignia’s SoftWindows. The DX boards use optional hardware accelerators to switch off the emulation capabilities within Insignia software automatically to enable the boards to take over and provide 80486 performance. SunPC 4.1 or SunPC 3.1 bundled with the board costs $1,000. The board as a stand-alone unit costs $850.
