A Portable OS, Unix-Compatible, with Ada, runs on Z80, 8088, etc???

[HFISCHER at USC-ECLB.ARPA]

From:  Herm Fischer <HFISCHER at USC-ECLB.ARPA>

I am in posession of some documentation which first strikes me as
preposterous, yet makes some claims which need to be taken seriously,
so this is a request for feedback from net-readers who either have
direct knowledge of the product, or perhaps know of some of the folks
developing it.  

The advertisement which attracted my attention stated that:

	"Unix is a Dinosaur,
	 CP/M & MS-DOS are Toys"

... and that Multi-Solutions, Inc's "S1" is "the World's first 4th
generation operating system".  Features like portable, modular,
multiuser, multitasking, multiPROCESSING(?), parallel processing(?),
networking, windowing, and UNIX Source Compatible!

My interest became less casual because they advertize Ada and Lisp
compilers "WITH EXTENSIONS" available in August, for the Z80. For more
information I guess I was supposed to send money, so I am concerned.

As you can see from the price list, they say I can have the same OS
with C, Modula-2, and Ada, running on the 68000, Z80, 8085, and
8086/88.  Since my company builds embedded military products based on
the Z80, with the edict that microprocessor software must be in Ada
["DoD Report to Congress", Study Annex], and with all my friends
laughing at the viability or marketability of an Ada for a Z80...

In the following list, everything is "available now" (according to the
brochure which solicits my order), except for the Ada and LISP, which
are available in August (according to the first page) and September
(according to the last page).
				Price List

				68000	Z80	8085	8086/88
S1 OS with all utilities
  OEM				$850	$300	$200	$400
  Pre-configured		 950	 375	 250	 495

"C" (K&R)			 350	 195	 175	 275
Modula-2			 350	 195	 175	 275
Ada + "extensions"		 700	 475	 425	 575
LISP				 350	 195	 175	 275

User Manual	$45   \
Progr. manual	100    } system and language orders
Mod-2 manual	 45    } are shipped with manuals
Ada manual	 75   /

Does anybody have the manuals????

Reading the expensive linnen-textured fancy "document" they sent me
would lead me to think they have an operating system kernel, but I
cannot see how it would be supportive of Ada "tasks" with the
primitives they supply.

Then, if Unix is a Dinosaur, since Unix has tons of "utilities" like
UUCP, UUX, Mail, snazzy editors, N/TROFF, SCCS, Lex, YACC, Graphics
workbench, PIC, etc etc., is theirs mean and lean without the
equivalent utilities?  Or, since they are "Unix Source Compatible",
will all unix utilities be portable to it?  Will UUCP or my YACC
Ada grammar run on it (on the Z80 or 8088)?

If you want to sleuth, 

		Multi Solutions, Inc.
		Suite 207
		123 Franklin Corner Rd.
		Lawrenceville, N.J. 08648
		609/896-4100

I'd really like a net-reader who lives nearby to drop in and report
back!

  Herm Fischer (HFischer at eclb, ..{trwrb,cepu}!litvax!fischer)
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