cat Xerox | Apple | Microsoft ?

From: Allison J Parent <allisonp_at_world.std.com>
Date: Fri May 22 08:49:14 1998

<I whole-heartedly, unequivocally agree. But you're discounting Linux.
<I'm surprised. Five years from now Windows' dominance will be a
<non-issue. The world will have been made much more colorful and free by
<Linux. I hope you believe me because I'd hate to prove you wrong in fiv
<year's time (plus I need to get a win after being called on my "bzzt" fo
<being wrong about the origins of Unix :)

Linux is free and it may be better (it's abosolute hell to install) but
Linux is not the default OS on every wintel box nor io it it shipped with
more than a fraction of a percent of them. Also for those interested in
running the small landslide of apps out there for DOS/WINDERS Linux is a
non player.

Why do I say that, I have linux, it doesn't run PADS, Gcadd, most of my
cross assemblers and a few other apps I depend on. I've tried, even
WP5/dos under linux is strange and tends to die. Setting up an IP network
is pure hell compared to setting up DECNET. Like win95 and later it also
requires more than the 8mb of ram I have or it runs poorly. It's
windowing system is a hog (I'm used to running VMS/DECwindows and a half
dozen engineers in 8mb on a VAX!). Linux(freeBSD, netBSD, Minix etal) is
not the cure all, its a good competitor and offers things for some users
that would otherwise have to run NT(even nastier) but, it's not engineerd
for the common user. Then again, I've never installed a W95 system nor
will I anytime soon. I do run W3.1 and compared to doing a dos6.22/w3.1
(or VMS) install linux is very painful and unpleasent. There is a lot to
be fixed for the user that want's to run stuff rather than run make files.

Like it or not a software investment determines the value of an OS in the
long run. It's why I also run CP/M-80 still. This is computer history,
it's also how we have the Y2k problem and some pretty dumb software as
well.


Allison
Received on Fri May 22 1998 - 08:49:14 BST