In article <472739FA.17721.AA91F4@stuart.brook.ca>,
"Stuart Brook" writes:
> On 30 Oct 2007 at 17:04, Bill Gunshannon wrote:
>
>> In article ,
>> "Tom Lake" writes:
>> >
>> > "Bill Gunshannon" wrote in message
>> > news:5oon8bFnrgkeU1@mid.individual.net...
>> >> In article <4726c250$0$32516$4c368faf@roadrunner.com>,
>> >> "Tom Lake" writes:
>> >>> I'm looking for a complete set of P/OS or RT-11 System disks (5.25"
>> >>> floppies
>> >>> that can be used on PRO 350)
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> RT-11 is sold by Mentec. P/OS, I believe, is available on the net. I
>> >> think I have a set of images but have never had the chance to actually
>> >> put them on real disks yet. (I have a PRO as well and am still looking
>> >> for an Ethernet card if anyone has one they are willing to let go of.)
>> >
>> > Thanks but I just contacted Mentec (Ireland) and they said they no longer
>> > handle DEC software.
>> >
>> > Bummer!
>>
>> Whoa!!! I just tried to visit their US web page and it appears to
>> be gone as well. An interesting development considering I had
>> contact with them not too awfully long ago and it was business as
>> usual.
>>
>> This brings up the next big question (which is why I am detouring
>> this to the PDP-11 groups). I wonder if there is any chance in
>> the world that they would be willing to release it all (especially
>> source code) to either the public doamain or perhaps just as Open
>> Source under a BSD style or even (gaack) some form of the GPL?
>>
>> bill
>
> I spoke with them about a month ago by phone. Still very much in
> business.
>
> Mentec Ltd. was bought out (the main Irish company ... which is why they
> say they no longer deal with PDP-11 stuff)
>
> Mentec Inc. is now an independent company from Mentec Ltd (which is
> owned by the Calyx Group). I'm not sure how the ownership chain works,
> but it is still owned by the same principals.
>
> As far as I understand it, you can still phone them at 603-883-7711 and
> email them at sales@mentec-inc.com

Wouldn't you have thought the former parent company would have told a
prospective customer this as opposed to just blowing them off? Sounds
like a not so happy breakup.

So, why then is does a search for "mentec" and "pdp" get nothing but
expired links or a yahoo page that has been under construction for
months? Sigh, I guess it will just be business as usual in the PDP
world.

bill

--
Bill Gunshannon | de-moc-ra-cy (di mok' ra see) n. Three wolves
bill@cs.scranton.edu | and a sheep voting on what's for dinner.
University of Scranton |
Scranton, Pennsylvania | #include

On 30 Oct 2007 at 17:04, Bill Gunshannon wrote:

> In article ,
> "Tom Lake" writes:
> >
> > "Bill Gunshannon" wrote in message
> > news:5oon8bFnrgkeU1@mid.individual.net...
> >> In article <4726c250$0$32516$4c368faf@roadrunner.com>,
> >> "Tom Lake" writes:
> >>> I'm looking for a complete set of P/OS or RT-11 System disks (5.25"
> >>> floppies
> >>> that can be used on PRO 350)
> >>
> >>
> >> RT-11 is sold by Mentec. P/OS, I believe, is available on the net. I
> >> think I have a set of images but have never had the chance to actually
> >> put them on real disks yet. (I have a PRO as well and am still looking
> >> for an Ethernet card if anyone has one they are willing to let go of.)
> >
> > Thanks but I just contacted Mentec (Ireland) and they said they no longer
> > handle DEC software.
> >
> > Bummer!
>
> Whoa!!! I just tried to visit their US web page and it appears to
> be gone as well. An interesting development considering I had
> contact with them not too awfully long ago and it was business as
> usual.
>
> This brings up the next big question (which is why I am detouring
> this to the PDP-11 groups). I wonder if there is any chance in
> the world that they would be willing to release it all (especially
> source code) to either the public doamain or perhaps just as Open
> Source under a BSD style or even (gaack) some form of the GPL?
>
> bill

I spoke with them about a month ago by phone. Still very much in
business.

Mentec Ltd. was bought out (the main Irish company ... which is why they
say they no longer deal with PDP-11 stuff)

Mentec Inc. is now an independent company from Mentec Ltd (which is
owned by the Calyx Group). I'm not sure how the ownership chain works,
but it is still owned by the same principals.

As far as I understand it, you can still phone them at 603-883-7711 and
email them at sales@mentec-inc.com

Stuart

On 30 Oct 2007 at 18:17, Bill Gunshannon wrote:

> Wouldn't you have thought the former parent company would have told a
> prospective customer this as opposed to just blowing them off? Sounds
> like a not so happy breakup.

Well, Mentec Ltd (Ireland) hasn't been particularly PDP-11 oriented for
years.

> So, why then is does a search for "mentec" and "pdp" get nothing but
> expired links or a yahoo page that has been under construction for
> months? Sigh, I guess it will just be business as usual in the PDP
> world.

Indeed it is. Slow, but nonetheless, sales do come in from what I
understand. The PDP-11 will NOT go away as a commercial box in a hurry!

Stuart