In article <1993Jan21.145729.24786@slab.slip.uiuc.edu> derek@slab.slip.uiuc.edu (Derek Taubert) writes:
[ ]
>
>Heh, boy did you step in it. 1) I work for a company that develops medical
>software for hospitals, ambulance services, nursing homes, private practices,
>etc. When the software is written correctly, setting up a network of machines
>using TCP/IP is just as easy as any other. Even if it weren't, these people
>require a consultant to come in and solve mundane problems anyway. 2) One of
>the reasons for writing TCP/IP for the IIgs is because in the next couple of
>years, you're going to see a lot more K-12 schools on the Internet.
The software has already been written, which is the point I was making. It
provides for printing, mail and server facilities and can coexist with
TCP/IP based netwroks, which still largely use NFS. You might well consider
the hassles of mail, which is a mess at the moment. Start adding sound, graphicsand other non-ascii information and you are really into a mess of problems.
I was not, in any case, talking about medical software. I was referring to
mainly research/teaching hospitals with a mix of computers. At the moment
the networks I have seen are somewhat difficult to use and to maintain. In
particular, their problems can't be dealt with by having the occasional
consultant dropping in.
I don't want to discourage you from writing TCP/IP for the GS. I'd like to
see it done, just as much as you'd like to finish it. But, there is no need
for it just to link into the Internet. Here's a simpler way. Use an Appletalk
based network and one Mac with Apple's new Internet Router software, which
converts TCP/IP to Appletalk and vice versa.
>Care to go another round?
As long as you wish. I may have to start reading the various Unix manuals
though, as my network was set up without reading anything.
>
>I will admit that in many respects AppleTalk is better for smaller networks,
>but the trend is toward massive connectivity and WAN's. That is the real
>world.
The point is how to link small networks, not have one big one using the same
unfriendly software. The solution exists now. It is largely Appletalk based,
and if you insist on TCP/IP, you simply use a (software) gateway.
