94 lines
5.1 KiB
Plaintext
94 lines
5.1 KiB
Plaintext
NETWORLD Boston. Mass: Attachmate today unveiled its Host Graphics Option
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(HGO) for Windows, which allows PCs running Microsoft Windows to emulate
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the functions of an IBM 3179-G mainframe Graphics terminal. The new
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product is an add-on option to the company's EXTRA! for Windows
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PC-mainframe software, and is slated for shipment later this month.
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"HGO for Windows overcomes the problems associated with using a PC to do
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mainframe graphics," said Mike New, VP of marketing for Attachmate.
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"3179-G emulation is one of the most complicated, detail-oriented aspects
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of PC-mainframe software. The first 80% is relatively easy to develop, but
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the last 20% is critical to proper operation. We've devoted the time and
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effort to do accurate 3179-G emulation and ensure full compatibility with
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host applications."
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An incomplete implementation of the 3179-G protocol can either present
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erroneous information or completely hang the host session. Accurate image
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display and fully interactive manipulation are essential. Most
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importantly, accurate 3179-G emulation ensures stability. IBM's mainframe
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graphics package, Application System (AS), for example, occasionally
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invokes a little-used "text cursor" mode of the 3179-G terminal.
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Attachmate's HGO product is fully compatible with AS. Products that do not
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implement text cursor do not run reliably with AS.
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Some mainframe graphics applications are more forgiving. IBM's Graphical
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Data Display Manager (GDDM), for example, allows PC-based emulators to
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tell the host which 3179-G functions they support. "In our experience,
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however, most host graphics applications are hardcoded for a real 3179-G
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terminal and produce unpredictable results if some terminal functions are
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missing," said New. Attachmate's HGO for Windows responds to mainframe
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commands as if it were a real 3179-G terminal, ensuring compatibility with
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any host graphics application.
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Accurate Image Display
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HGO takes full advantage of the Windows environment by dynamically resizing
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the host image to fit the window. Since the image may become distorted as
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the window is stretched, however, the product includes an option that
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preserves the correct aspect ratio for a given window size. This feature
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is important for host images such as surface charts that could be
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misinterpreted if distorted.
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Downloadable symbols are also fully supported, again ensuring the accuracy
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of the host image. These custom symbol sets are often downloaded from the
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host for specialized functions, such as a pattern-fill for an object. The
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3179-G terminal supports both a default symbol set and the downloadable
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symbols that can significantly change an image. Most PC-based emulators
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support only the default set; HGO replicates the full 3179-G
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functionality.
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Interactive Image Manipulation
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Once HGO has displayed the image at the PC, the user has several options
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for manipulation. On-line editing is possible using HGO's graphic and text
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cursor ability . All four 3179-G graphic cursors are supported, again
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reflecting the complete set of terminal functions.
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Default mainframe colors can be individually re-assigned by the user to any
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color supported by the PC. On some PC monitors, for example, the default
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blue used with the actual 3179-G terminal may appear too dark. A user can
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change the color to their personal preference.
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Copy and Paste functions are also supported using the Windows clipboard,
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with an important distinction: Because HGO for Windows preserves the
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separate text and graphics "layers" as implemented in the 3179-G, the user
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may elect to copy/paste only the graphic image. The clutter of text
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prompts and menus on the mainframe screen can be omitted when the image is
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imported into other Windows applications.
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Mainframe images can be printed to any Windows-supported printer or
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plotter, and may include either the text or graphics layer, or both.
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Images may also be stored in a variety of popular formats, including PIF,
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Metafile and BX-mapped.
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Pricing and Availability
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HGO for Windows is available immediately from Attachmate. List price is
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$495; corporate discounts are available. Under Attachmate's EXTRA! for
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Life program, upgrades from the DOS version of HGO are automatically
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shipped at no-charge to Central Support customers; non-Central Support
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customers can upgrade for $75 per copy. Pricing outside of the U.S.A.
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varies. Attachmate Corporation, 13231 SE 36th Street, Bellevue, WA 98006,
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(800) 426-6283, (206) 644-401 0.
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+---------------------------------------------------------------+
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| From the America On-Line & PC-Link New Product Info Services |
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+===============================================================+
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| This information was processed with OmniPage Professional OCR |
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| software (from Caere Corp) & a Canon IX-30 scanner from data |
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| provided by the above mentioned company. For additional info, |
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| contact the company at the address or phone# indicated above. |
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| All submissions for this service should be addressed to |
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| BAKER ENTERPRISES, 20 Ferro Drive, Sewell, NJ 08080 U.S.A. |
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+---------------------------------------------------------------+
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