#: 16767 S12/OS9/68000 (OSK)
    24-Oct-92  18:51:57
Sb: urgent!  (2 of 3)
Fm: PaulSeniura 76476,464
To: all

[...continued...]

However, OS-9 is written in assembly language and being smaller than UNIX, it
is faster than UNIX and offers the user more performance. Now from the press
release: OS-9 is said to be the only major commercial operating system that has
built-in, easy-to-use functions to support modular programming techniques.  All
routines are independent of Atari's firmware and no Atari ROM routines are
used.

From the CUMANA brochure:  A single-sided boot disk can be supplied but one
double-sided drive will be necessary to run the package.  Both the monochrome
and the color monitors are supported.  All ports including the MIDI ports are
supported with this version of OS-9.  The Atari hard drive is supported.
Totally Atari compatible drives probably are OS-9 compatible but cannot be
individually supported. Caching is incorportated in the floppy disk driver and
multi-sector "read and write" is implemented in the hard disk driver as an
alternate to caching to ensure data integrity.

And now the GOOD stuff:  The commercial price of around $900 US will no longer
apply to the individual home computer user.  CUMANA offers their private
purchaser package at about $179.00 US plus shipping.  The shipping is rather
expensive for a five day delivery at $81.00 US; however, if 10 Atari users
group together (such as a club) then the individual shipping costs will be
reduced.  To send 10 packages, the shipment cost is about $219 air freight.

Anyone wishing to become an agent for CUMANA in the USA should contact the
Managing Director, Mr. John Simnett.  The marketing manager is Mr. Steve
Dickenson and Richenda Wood handles public relations.

[...more...]