---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Florida SunFlash Third Party Product Announcements SunFLASH Vol 35 #20 November 1991 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elan Computer Group Announces Avalon Publisher Version 2.0 Faxpak Solitaire Royale and Portable Mail Cost-Effective Parallel Processing -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elan Computer Group Announces Avalon Publisher Version 2.0 Over 100 new features highlight this new release. Mountain View, California -- September 16, 1991: Elan Computer Group today announced the availability of Avalon Publisher(TM) Version 2.0, the latest release of the company's popular word processing and desktop publishing product for UNIX(R). "Avalon Publisher 2.0 is designed for the multi-system environment," says Ken Greer, President of Elan. "Users on any major UNIX platform can now use the same DTP tool." The newest version of Avalon Publisher runs under the Open Look(TM) or Motif(TM) user interfaces, and is available now on the following Sun UNIX platforms: SUN-3, SUN-4 and SPARC-Compatibles. The improved capabilities of Avalon 2.0 reinforce the product's reputation as a sophisticated word-processing and page layout tool that's simple enough for even "UNIX neophytes." New features include color support, (both text and graphics), a powerful mail-merge utility, enhanced graphics, and filters for most major word processing and desktop publishing packages. "We wanted to improve the basic functionality of Avalon 2.0 and still maintain its user friendliness," says Greer. "Even with some fairly dramatic new features, we succeeded in preserving a consistent user interface, meaning all objects - text, graphics, pages, and documents behave the same way. Our customers told us that was important." Avalon 2.0's new color pallet is one example of a powerful new capability that's also easy to use. With color becoming the office standard for presentation graphics, Avalon 2.0 gives the user a wide variety to choose from, as well as gray scale support. Yet the palette design is consistent with other features - so even occasional users can create colorful overheads, reports, and proposals with only an intuitive feel for how the product works. Despite Avalon 2.0's sophisticated page layout capability, most users report that product training is simply a non-issue. "We have used Avalon 2.0 for our office publishing needs and have never required formal product training. We found the product to be very intuitive, and new users can learn to be productive with it quickly," says Jim McGregor, CEO of Gecko Software, and an Avalon Publisher customer. Elan has also included filters in the new release which allow Avalon 2.0 to import other text and graphic formats. Avalon 2.0 includes filters for WordPerfect(R), IslandWrite(R), Microsoft Word(R), FrameMaker(R), Interleaf(R), and many others. Among over 100 new features in Avalon Publsiher 2.0 are: annotation frames, user definable paragraph libraries, autosave, and autonumbering. Avalon 2.0, like its predecessor, is available on a floating license basis, so customers pay only per user, not per CPU. "This pricing strategy offers significant savings to customers with multiple users. Typically two or three non-concurrent users can be served by one license," says Tom Pencek, Elan's Sales and Marketing Director. Avalon Publisher 2.0 is available for $995 per license in the US and Canada, and for $1295 per license in other countries. It can be ordered directly from Elan or through a wide number of authorized resellers. For more information: Tom Pencek Director of Sales and Marketing Elan Computer Group, Inc. (415) 964-2200 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: klaus u schallhorn Subject: Faxpak Please allow me to introduce "faxpak". I wrote faxpak mainly to allow switching our newsletter distribution to a faster and more reliable transport agent - fax. Platforms: ========== faxpak runs on Sun{3,4}s and Xenix (and compatible operating systems). The SunOS version is fully networked and comes with client binaries for both Sun-3 and Sun-4 (Server binaries for only one architecture). faxpak includes a mail to fax interface (source) to allow connectivity with non Unix machines. Modems: ======= faxpak is compatible with five PC type fax modems (although I highly recommend US Robotic's [previously Touchbase] Worldport 2496, approved in most European countries). File Types: =========== ASCII, TeX, LaTeX, HP LaserJet II compatible HPCL output, PostScript, PBM bitmaps and Sun Raster files. Has provisions to add further file types. Received Faxes: =============== Received facsimile can be viewed on screen (SunView, or EGA or VGA on PC type hardware), printed automatically or selectively. faxpak supports LaserJet and compatibles, PostScript and Epson compatible printers. Sending facsimile: ================== faxpak supports one off faxes, aliases, distribution lists [no limit on size]. faxpak permits cover sheets, optionally personalised (even from within batch jobs), normal or white on black header and pagination lines, pasteup of letterheads. Configurable Options: Restrict transmissions to off peak phone rates [by country code, area code or phone number], permit "power users" to override. Permissions scheme similar to cron's. "Pickup Mode" can be set to take effect after N1 errors on faxes having more than N2 pages, to transmit only pages that have not been confirmed at previous attempts. Resolution, the number of attempts to transmit a fax, the time a facsimile is permitted to sit in the queue and numerous configuration options allow the tailoring of faxpak to local requirements. Many options can be set to either allow user choice or to enforce site wide standards. Cost and Smallprint: ==================== faxpak costs 225 Pounds Sterling [plus VAT in the UK]. Non european sites pay $US 360 plus a shipping charge [AIR] of $US 25. faxpak comes with a site licence where "site" is limited by the size of a LAN owned by the purchaser, or to a single machine on non networked systems. faxpak 2.0 is available since July '91. Ordering: ========= To order faxpak state system [Sun3, Sun4 or Xenix], Media [QIC24, QIC150 or 3.5 or 5 1/4" disk] and enclose payment. faxpak comes with separate Users' and Installation manuals. Support is available by fax, email and phone. Terms: CWO. Educational Institutions and registered Charities: Ask about discount/terms. Orders and Enquiries to: Klaus Schallhorn Job Control 28 Belgravia St. Penzance, Cornwall, TR18 2BJ England fax +44 736 330083, faxinfo@cnix.uucp -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Solitaire Royale and Portable Mail Newsgroups: comp.newprod DUX SOFTWARE ANNOUNCES PORTABLE MAIL AND SOLITAIRE ROYALE FOR UNIX Solitaire Royale is now available under Open Windows/OPEN LOOK on the Sun Color SPARCstation platform. Solitaire Royale is a collection of eight solitaire card games that are challenging and fun to play, the first of its kind available on the UNIX platform. Different play styles, such as Tournament, are included as well as several visually interesting card face graphics such as Jungle, Japanese, Monster and Greek. Solitaire Royale is available from DUX for $79.00. Also available, for all UNIX platforms, is Portable Mail, a convenient MS-DOS tool designed to help e-mail users save time, by allowing UNIX users to compose, edit and delete their UNIX mail on a PC DOS or SPARC laptop at home or on the road. Original UNIX mail files can be downloaded with one command onto a diskette in either DOS or UNIX tar file format for easy manipulation or accessed via modem. Portable Mail is available from DUX for $149.00. DUX Software 1-800-543-4999 415-948-1500 fax:415-948-1539 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (( Note that this is a special offer for educational users. The product sounds useful for non-educational users so I have included this announcement. -johnj )) Subject: Cost-Effective Parallel Processing From: Roland Bradley Special In-Sun Offer If you have a VME-based Sun Workstation or network access to a VME- based Sun, here is an opportunity to obtain a complete parallel processing system at the lowest prices offered by Meiko. Meiko Scientific is offering an exceptional discount on the MK201 In-Sun Computing Surface, with 8 processors available to parallel applications, to a limited number of qualified educational users. For $18,999 you get: 1. The In-Sun Computing Surface A 9U single slot VME board and software comprising: * Eight Compute Nodes using 25MHz T800 processors, each with 4 megabytes of local memory available to user processes. * 1 Megabyte of Dual Ported Memory mapped into the host's address space to allow high bandwidth transfers between the host and user processes. There are two "system" processors which are used to transfer data between user processors and the shared memory. * Software Control of Topology allowing the user to select how the processors are configured when the code is being loaded onto the network of processors. * Processor Supervisor Support contained in custom hardware to allow the detection of address errors, parity errors on the user processors. * Resource Control Daemon which is used to control the allocation of processors to users, and takes care of routing the user processes' requests to the Unix filing system. This allows multiple users to have concurrent access to the parallel process- ing resource, but isolates them from each other. * SunOS Device Driver code which allows the Unix kernel to control and communicate with the In-Sun Computing Surface. 2. CS-Tools The software which allows the cross development of parallel applica- tions in a familiar environment. CS-Tools is not a parallel operating system, but a library interface to a set of utilities which allow processes running in parallel to communicate. Some of the features of CS-Tools are: * ANSI Standard Languages C or Fortran 77 are supported, with cross compilers and library support for both the host and the In-Sun Computing Surface. * Symbolic Debugger support, simulating the familiar dbx and dbxtool interface. * High-Level Configuration Control is achieved by a program which interprets instructions in simple ascii files to configure and load user code onto the parallel processing resource. 3. Support & Maintenance One year of Meiko Customer Assisted Support including: * Telephone Support to assist with hardware and software difficul- ties. * Software Upgrades throughout the year, providing bug-fixes and functional enhancements. To find out whether you qualify for this special offer contact Meiko by e-mail at: uunet: uunet!meikous!special-offer internet: meikous!special-offer@uunet.uu.net or call us at our Boston office 617-890-7676 and ask for the "special". To find more about the range of hardware, software and services offered by Meiko Scientific send e-mail to: uunet: uunet!meikous!mail-server internet: meikous!mail-server@uunet.uu.net or call our Boston office for a literature pack. (This is a limited offer for qualified educational buyers only.) All enquiries will be responded to. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For information send mail to info-sunflash@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. Subscription requests should be sent to sunflash-request@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. Archives are on solar.nova.edu and paris.cs.miami.edu. All prices, availability, and other statements relating to Sun or third party products are valid in the U.S. only. Please contact your local Sales Representative for details of pricing and product availability in your region. Descriptions of, or references to products or publications within SunFlash does not imply an endorsement of that product or publication by Sun Microsystems. John McLaughlin, SunFlash editor, flash@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. (305) 776-7770.