Display article   Subject:  SCO XENIX 386 and SCO UNIX System V/386 Differences
   04/30/97   18:54:00


SCO XENIX 386 AND SCO UNIX SYSTEM V/386 DIFFERENCES

The release of SCO UNIX System V/386 earlier this year by the
Santa Cruz Operation has created some confusion regarding the
future of SCO XENIX and a question as to what is the difference
between SCO XENIX and SCO UNIX.

The future of SCO XENIX is sound.  The Santa Cruz Operation,
recognizing the large installed base currently in place and
continuing demand for the product, has committed to a maintenance
release of the SCO XENIX 386 V2.3.2 operating system during the
first quarter of 1991.

Within Radio Shack, SCO XENIX will continue as the multiuser
operating platform most suited for the small business, point of
sale, and manufacturing target markets.

The SCO UNIX System V product is currently under evaluation.
This product will be available through Radio Shack after all open
issues have been resolved and appropriate peripheral UNIX driver
support has been incorporated into our current product line.

Here are several important factors regarding the differences
between SCO XENIX and SCO UNIX:


Comparing SCO XENIX and SCO UNIX

System Hardware Requirements & Cost Factors (Advantage -- XENIX)

Since SCO XENIX 386 is a smaller physical size, it requires less
disk space and less RAM to operate.  These factors tend to keep
the cost of the system solution low because fewer hardware
resources are required.

            Minimum System Requirements Comparison

                                SCO XENIX     SCO UNIX

        CPU                       80386         80386
        RAM                        2 MB          6 MB
        Hard Drive                40 MB         105 MB


Overall System Performance Factors (Advantage -- XENIX)

Since the SCO XENIX 386 code is smaller, it will probably yield
the highest performance.  Coupled with a lower cost, this
combination offers the best price/performance in the market
today.

A Mature Product Is Desired (Advantage -- XENIX)

SCO XENIX has been on the market for several years, with years of
development invested and use realized.  The user is assured of
the same high quality product that has been available from SCO
for years, with the majority of the features contained in the SCO
UNIX System V product release.

In addition, Radio Shack has years of experience in testing,
configuring, installing and supporting the SCO XENIX operating
system.  Our satisfied installed base of thousands of small
business customers is testimony to the solid system solution
offered by the SCO XENIX platform.

Standards Compliance (Advantage -- UNIX)

SCO UNIX System V/386 offers 100% compliance with the major UNIX
standards including:  X/OPEN, CAE, POSIX, and FIPS 151.1.  In
addition, the Microsoft C compiler is ANSI C compliant.  This
gives users access to a broader range of applications and assures
a higher quality operating system product.

C2 Security Requirements (Advantage -- UNIX)

SCO UNIX System V offers security features not available in other
microcomputer UNIX implementations.  The C2 standard for trusted
computing provides improved monitoring and administration
facilities which can help control costs, make system
administration easier, and provide overall peace of mind from a
security standpoint.

Coexistence With Other UNIX Implementations (Advantage -- UNIX)

SCO UNIX System V, combined with NFS, is capable of seamless
integration with UNIX implementations from other vendors.

Improved SCO VP/ix Performance Is Desired (Advantage -- UNIX)

The addition of a tunable scheduler allows VP/ix more time to
execute, improving the response to and productivity of the DOS
applications users.
