From: stdkap1@icarus.spc.uchicago.edu (Dietrich Kappe)
Subject: Re: RE-MACS COST TOO MUCH (NOT!)
Organization: Center for Population Economics
	<1992Aug27.205714.13960@CS.ORST.EDU>
	<ewright.714956536@convex.convex.com>
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 04:46:20 GMT

>>>>> On Thu, 27 Aug 1992 23:02:16 GMT, ewright@convex.com (Edward V. Wright) said:

[Lots of Eds wisdom deleted :-)]

>If so, your argument is invalid, because serious software costs the
>same on either side of the fence.

wright> Oh?  Let's see, Hypercard is... free.  Toolbook costs... $400,
wright> is it?  That seems like a pretty significant price difference
wright> to me.

Oooh, hypercard. That is serious software. I bet that you use
hypercard quite a bit, or else its just some peice of software you are
subsidizing with your overpriced mac purchases, right? You do seem
like a major hypercard power user to me. Can you point me to a good
CAD stack? :-)

>Give OS/2 a shot, you'll realize what a good GUI and OS is.  Much
>nicer than System 7 IMHO.

wright> Well, your opinion is obviously not the opinion of the company
wright> that developed OS/2.  In case you haven't heard, they gave
wright> Apple the right to use the hottest RISC processor around in
wright> exchange for the right to use the Macintosh interface in their
wright> future operating systems.  IBM has seen the future, and it is
wright> Pink.

So IBM is always right, or is it only right when it agrees with Apple?
Oooh, this is confusing. Ed, help me out. It can't be. This isn't
Kansas? Was IBM right in introducing OS/2?

>This was believed when the mac was developed too, but try a real OS
>that can do pre-emptive multitasking, allowing you to run a number of
>programs at once, using more and more of your CPU, and you won't have
>many CPU cycles wasted.

wright> No.  Instead, the OS will come along while my paint program is
wright> "wasting" time in tight loop, tracking the mouse and updating
wright> my drawing.  It will hit the program over the head with a
wright> hammer so that it can give time to some more "important"
wright> process.  Eventually, it will decide to give time back to me
wright> -- by which time my hand and the mouse have moved, leaving a
wright> big ugly gap that ruins my drawing.  Yes, sir, I can't wait to
wright> get preemptive multitasking on my PC!

Wow! You must do an awful lot of systems programming (in Hypercard, I
bet. Boy, that is a real feat. I'll go and sell all my OS books now. )
Have you written much in this area? Where can I get your books?

>And if you had this OS on a mac, you would run into a big problem,

wright> Oh, really?  Obviously, then, you don't believe that UNIX is a
wright> preemptive operating system, you've never heard of A/UX, or
wright> you think it's a figment of someone's imagination.

That is quite a zinger. Those dumb DOS heads (well, OS/2 is just DOS
6.0, isn't it?) might as well fold up their tents. You neglected to
mention that A/UX is free, right? And there is a good reason why we
don't all use A/UX instead of the MacOS...although I can't remember it
right now. Sheesh! You really nailed them.

>I have a Mac IIci, PC clone 486/33, and a unix box HP 9000/350.  The
>Mac is a poor comparison even to the HP9000/350 running X-windows.
>The sad part about this is that the HP only has a 68020-16 in it.
>The PC blows them both away.

wright> Your arrogance is incredible.  I run X-Windows on a PC 8 hours
wright> a day.  Your saying that the Mac is a poor comparison to
wright> X-Windows shows that you are not only willing to lie to make a
wright> point but that you have so much contempt for the Mac users you
wright> are speaking to that you think none of them will see through
wright> that lie.  When I drag a window on the Mac, it moves.  Period.
wright> When I drag a window under X, it can take anywhere from
wright> several seconds to several *minutes* for it to move.  The Mac
wright> is a poor comparison?  Kid, there ain't no comparison!

You forgot to mention that a PC is a whole lot more powerful than an
HP9000/350. I used to run a few of those boxes, and boy were they
slow. I used to bring in my Commodore 64 just to make my colleagues
jealous. But I don't have to tell you the joys of superior computer
power, you're a mac user like me!

I had almost forgotten that using xwindows over a network is a lot
faster than using it on the same machine as all your client software.
Or are you running unix on that PC? Well, its not important. Whats
important is that you really kicked that DOS-heads ass!

--

---
Dietrich Kappe
kap1@icarus.spc.uchicago.edu
Center for Population Economics