Interesting to note about Altairs...

From: Arfon Gryffydd <arfonrg_at_texas.net>
Date: Tue Mar 9 09:13:16 1999

>> Linux will do some damage in the server market and other places where you
>> have to have someone with some computer smarts but, most corporate purse
>> strings are again controlled by those same 'click-idiots'.
>
>A lot of corporations are switching to Linux for servers. Are you saying
>that the server purchases are controlled by different purse strings than
>the desktop machines, or are you saying that even 'click-idiots' realize
>that Linux is better for servers?

No, I was saying that the unfortunate trend so far is that MIS people have
to sneek Linux boxes into corporate systems because the pencil-headed,
managers (who are 'click-idiots') are scared to use Linux.


>> I really wish GNU would take a good command line OS (like CP/M), make it
>> 32/64 bit, and multi-tasking/user and add a GUI and try and compete with
>> Winblows.
>
>Aside from being based on CP/M (which is actually in most regards even a more
>feeble excuse for an operating system than MS-DOS), how is what you're
>proposing any different than Linux with Gnome (or KDE)?
>
>Why do you think CP/M is a better base than Linux?

Actually, I like them both for what they are. CP/M is nice because it is
simple. No libraries, no shared files, all files that are needed for an
application are usually in one directory and not strewn across the
directory structure. (But, it doesn't TCP/IP. DAMN!)

Linux on the other hand is GREAT for it's multi-user, multi-tasking and
networking abilities! I love every one of my Linux boxes! But, it is a
flavor of Unix and therefore has endless numbers of library files (that
somehow are never the right version) and an application's needed support
files are strewn across 50 different directories.


>I actually *like* CP/M, for what it was designed and intended for.
>I just think that trying to add bags on the side in an attempt to turn it
>into a "real system" will only result in a nasty kludge with lots of bags
>on the side. After all, that's exactly how the Microsoft stuff got to
>where it is today. So if GNU started today on a project like you're
>proposing, in 18 years we would have GNU Windows, which would be every
>bit as crufty and unreliable as MS Windows NT and 98 are now.

My wish is not a kludge of CP/M. I used CP/M as an example but, if you
were going to use CP/M, I'd wish for a total new re-write with all the
features I wanted built in.

>On the other hand, by improving the Linux installation process, the Gnome
>or KDE desktops, and adding support for more hardware, the Linux user
>experience can be made just as compelling as Windows is now.

Nope! Linux is still to hard for the average user. There are too many
different flavor of libraries (GLIBC2 vs. LIBC5 as an example). Windows
has the advantage of having (for the most part) only one version of
necessary DLLs. Linux will never match the ease of Windows because if it
did, half of Linux's attractiveness (the user configurability) will be lost.


IMHO

Arfon
Received on Tue Mar 09 1999 - 09:13:16 GMT