TOPS info. needed

[deckel at relay.nswc.navy.mil]

We currently have on our network several PCs running PC-NFS and have plans
to add some Macs running AppleShare with a Gatorbox performing Appletalk
translations.  We have one PC installed with PC-NFS Lifeline but the
memory requirements for it make it virtually unuseable.  We don't have a
mail package for the Macs.

What we want to do now is try out TOPS with the goal of running uniform
software across the network with (hopefully) compatibility between Macs,
PCs and workstations.  We have plans to buy a copy of TOPS/DOS, a copy of
TOPS/MAC, and a copy of TOPS/Sun for the server and the mail package,
INBOX Plus.  I think INBOX Plus is still going to hog up too much memory.
Any opinions?  

Has anyone out there used any of this software?  How does TOPS/DOS compare
with PC-NFS?  How does TOPS/Mac compare to using a Gatorbox?  PC-NFS comes
with the sofware to perform NFS, telnet and ftp.  We haven't seen in the
brochures that TOPS/DOS provides telnet and ftp services.  Are these
services available from TOPS? or from some other source?  We received NCSA
Telnet for the Macs with the GatorBox so we can manage if TOPS/Mac doesn't
come with this software but we can't manage if TOPS/DOS doesn't have it.

Also, what software is available to allow PCs, Macs, and workstations to
share printers?  I was told about CAPS.  Has anyone used this?  How does
it work?

Thanks in advance,

Debbie Eckel
Naval Surface Warfare Center
deckel at relay.nswc.navy.mil