Massimo Delledonne (delle at pc.unicatt.it) wrote:
[...]
: future a lot of goups will start using GCG via Internet. You don't need to
: know ANYTHING about programming, you don't have unresolved configuration
[...]
: I would like to use GCG exactly as I can retreive sequences from Genebank,
: EMBL etc. via Gopher...
[...]
You seem to imply that the X-Windows system 'is like' GOPHER.
May I draw a rough and very simplyfying plot on the differences:
GOPHER or similar PC/Mac running
PC/Mac Client X Windows
------------------------------------------------------------------
CPU doing computation remote remote
CPU doing presentation local remote
CPU doing display local local
Application local remote
Additional display sw none local
Data storage (save/print) local remote
Data access (read/load) local (if any) remote
preferences file local local and remote
nature of the local program client server
nature of the remote program server client, appl.server
authentication none locally remote required
need an account remote no yes
need a disk remote no/maybe yes
scratch data local remote
application error messages local remote
state of connection stateless stateful
duration of connection only while query session
'conditionality' dealt with remotely dealt with remotely
mouse clicks affect program locally remote based
data sent for 'window' formatted text commands and text
data sent by customer text commands
I think that using a mouse does not imply ease of access, and certainly
X-Windows on Wide Area Networks is a headache in Europe. You will also need
to consider the quality of your access - your PC must run Internet in order
to connect, AND run an X-Windows server in order to be able to use the
X-Windows system. Whereas the DOS system has public domain tools for TCP/IP,
or delivers it with reasonably purchased computers (Mac, WfW3.11), the X
server system needs to be purchased and requires (a) at least a 17 inch
monitor, and (b) at least 8 MB RAM. We calculate 30kB/s as a minimum line
speed (available sustained, not 'ping' timing).
In addition to this, referring to previous postings in this thread, the
PC/Mac TCP/IP client solution is definitively worth looking into but requires
a lot of programming. Your comments on pricing don't seem to consider that
current pricing is site-based and reasonable - making 'free' net access
available to all in the sense as you described is not a desirable option
for us (as providers).
--
R.Doelz Klingelbergstr.70| Tel. x41 61 267 2247 Fax x41 61 267 2078|
Biocomputing CH 4056 Basel| electronic Mail doelz at ubaclu.unibas.ch|
Biozentrum der Universitaet Basel|-------------- Switzerland ---------------|
<a href=http://beta.embnet.unibas.ch/>EMBnet Switzerland:info at ch.embnet.org</a>
