🚀 go-pugleaf

The network you describe, with PCs and unix workstations happily interacting,
is fairly easy to implement with either of two Sun products.  TOPS is a neat
little network; it supposedly can connect Macs, PCs, and NFS unix machines. I
haven't had any real experience with it, though.  We are setting up an
Ethernet network here, connecting PCs into our Sun 4s (SPARCs).  Sun sells a
software package, PC/NFS, that runs in one of two modes.  Either the PC sees
the Sun peripherals (disks, printers) as DOS devices (D:, LPT2:) that can be
used directly by any DOS program.  Alternatively, the PC can be turned into a
unix terminal rlogged into a workstation (text only).  Sun also sells a few
bells and whistles (called "lifeline") that ties you into the Sun mail system
and allows you to use the Suns as a backup device.  The cost of PC/NFS is
about $400 (software only, heavily discountable); lifeline is an extra $125
(non-discountable).
 
We have a PostScript printer (the new IBM one) attached to the network; it
doesn't seem to suffer the same problems as the HP LaserJet seems to.
 
Robert Stoddard