From: waltrip@capd.jhuapl.edu
Subject: Re: New idea:  forget Open Systems.  N(o)T! (was Re: Open...)
Organization: CAPVAX, JHU/APL
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1992 17:03:56 GMT

In article <jbone.715643405@splat>, jbone@splat.dell.com (Jeff Bone) writes:

	[...]

> Foul!  NT is no clean slate!  Rather, it's a questionable microkernel
> architecture with a bunch of backward-compatible Windows and DOS baggage
> slathered on top!  Me, I'd rather inherit my baggage from something that
> AT LEAST was decent to begin with (UNIX) than from a poorly hacked
> abortion (Windows, DOS).
> 
	Well, NT is not exactly a clean slate, I'll agree.  It was done with
	certain constraints but, then, so is everything else and I think you'll
	agree that, in itself, that's not necessarily bad.  But since part of
	those constraints is to accommodate Windows and DOS, you're not exactly
	happy (so to speak ;^) with that part of it.

	And I see your point.  In common with Glenn Reid, you develop on your
	computer.  The UNIX API and utilities are important to you.  That API
	also provides access to other important functionality such as
	networking (and the list could go on and on and would certainly grow
	to include things that aren't available in out-of-the-box NT).

	Unlike Glenn, however, you are more involved, I believe, in the
	development of mission-critical apps.  While the size of the market
	might be of some concern to Glenn, it's probably not something that
	would matter in the development of a mission-critical app.  Instead,
	the quality of the development environment and the suitability of the
	OS to meet the application requirements are of sole concern.

	Well, NT doesn't buy you anything and I wouldn't care to cram it
	down your throat (though I'm sure Bill Gates wouldn't mind doing
	so 8^).  But let me suggest a few things that NeXTSTEP on NT might
	do for me.

	First of all, I would want the NeXTSTEP development environment.  No
	compromises.  Give me the whole thing including the BSD API and 
	utilities.  I would want that at home and at work.  In either place,
	I want my NeXTSTEP Workspace Manager (though a multi-threaded
	re-implementation would be nice as long as I'm wishing ;^).  Under
	that Workspace Manager, I would like to be able to double-click a
	DOS or Windows application icon and run it in a window (same is true
	for an X application but that should be available in any case so is
	not an issue here).

	Now what does that do for me?  Well, at home, I don't have to have a
	dedicated box around for running those DOS or Windows (or NT)
	applications that SoftPC just can't accommodate (I have SoftPC and
	think it's great but it is, finally, limited).  Now I can't avoid
	needing some DOS or Windows or NT capability for awhile.  Brokers
	and electronic funds transfer services offer DOS or Windows programs,
	not NeXTSTEP programs.  Other things keep coming up--sometimes I can
	handle them with SoftPC, sometimes I can't.

	But the big payoff would be at work.  I don't have a NeXT on my
	desk at work.  I can't justify it.  My department is PC-oriented.
	We have departmental mission critical applications under development 
	that I will only be able to access via DOS or NT.  The reason they
	will be done for NT is because there are so many little DOS boxes
	out there already.  While people would give up their DOS boxes,
	they won't give up their familiar DOS applications.  Not all at
	once, anyway.  People aren't like that.  PCs are tools.  They can't
	give up doing their real jobs in order to learn a new environment
	and a whole set of new tools.  They need to be able to make a
	gradual transition.

	So, if the NeXTSTEP environment were available on NT, I could have
	it.  NeXTSTEP applications could be introduced gradually and people
	could be weaned from their DOS and Windows milk.  NeXTSTEP apps could
	run side-by-side with DOS and Windows apps and the better apps would
	eventually win.

	It is not realistic to think that NeXT's proprietary better mousetrap
	can displace Bill Gate's proprietary one if the people with the mice
	never see any mousetrap other than Bill's.  Now you might think 
	that's a marketing problem--and you'd be right.  But porting NeXTSTEP
	to NT IS a marketing strategy.  No amount of advertising and direct
	sales is going to make a difference because the end users just don't
	care if it means giving up those familiar apps that work for them NOW!
	I repeat:  there are millions of DOS boxes on desktops because they 
	have some value to their users.  Their users can be persuaded to 
	change but only gradually and only as replacement apps become 
	available.

	But even those users that want to change will find that there are
	some applications that they use to do their job that just aren't
	available yet under NeXTSTEP.  They can't/won't have two boxes on
	their desktops.  They can't do without their old apps with no
	replacements in sight.  They can't have NeXTSTEP!!!

	And I'm one of those who can't have NeXTSTEP unless Steve saves me!

	Would a kind soul such as yourself, Jeff, consign all of us to this
	miserable hell?  Or will you support our efforts to transcend Bill
	Gates and his evil plans by smiting his Windows monopoly on NT with
	Steve's sword of righteous NeXTSTEP?

	Then, in the ensuing period of rapturous light and luminous truth,
	with Windows and DOS vanguished forever, Steve can turn his vision
	to the True OS and, with his new-found $billions$ (garnered at evil
	Bill's expense), can put all the features into the True Open System
	UNIX that will empower it to displace NT on all those desktops while 
	providing a sanctified setting truly worthy of NeXTSTEP.

	I can see the Glory now.

	Won't you step forward and join us in the True Light, my son?

	Amen.

	Now is that a marketing plan, or what?

	[...]

> Let's just toss this ridiculous idea called "Open Systems" we've
> all been toying with for the last decade, okay?  What say?  N(o)T.
							      ^^^^^
	Clever.  I like it.  We'll adopt it as our logo in the time of the
	True Awakening after Bill, er, Lucifer is finally consigned to the 
	pit.


Opinions expressed are my own (but, of course, you knew they weren't yours).
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Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.advocacy