From: NIEHS::STAFFA "Nick Staffa, ph 361-9422 ext226" 19-JAN-1995 10:07:14.43
To: IN%"Johnson at biomed.yale.edu"
CC: STAFFA
Subj: RE: X-Windows for version 8 GCG, Opinions?
Johnson at biomed.yale.edu
writes
> According to the "what's_new_..." file, the new release of GCG has a
>menu-driven interface (yes!) that requires X-windows. Before going to the
>expense and bother of finding and buying X-windows for the Mac, I would
>like to know if any of you have tried this interface.
> In particular,
>1.) does it make dealing with gcg significantly easier?
Probably, esp. for the new user.
Complicated setups, special qualifiers et c. can be stored and easily
recalled.
All relevant files are easily seen and kept track of.
I have been dealing with WPI since summer, both as the Beta Test and in
release, and taught a course on it. At first sight users seem to like it
and want it. We are plagued, however, with 1) slowness and 2) crashes.
The latter is maybe 'cause we are too parsimonious with quotas. For one
thing, WPI won't run with them set according to GCG's documentation.
In using WPI, sometimes it has been very efficient 'cause I could launch
a bunch of jobs in short order. At other times, I became frustrated.
>2.) are most or all of the functions available under the menus?
Yes, all except Fetch (and one other that I can't remember). That is
duplicated with the database browser for database files, but you can't get
example sequences and other stuff that Fetch will also bring to you.
There are files that you can't delete from WPI. Interactive login
is necessary occasionally to delete various .log files and any output
files that were not originally marked for deletion when they were
created.
>3.) which X-windows are you using?
MacX and StarNet Micro-X.
MacX we got with PathWorks. The StarNet product(for windows for work
groups) goes for about $100 and is very nice.
> Also, does anyone know of a share/freeware X-windows for the mac? Your
>experiences and opinions would be greatly appreciated.
>
