From: SXMRP@orca.alaska.edu (Michael R. Platzke)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.advocacy
Subject: Re: Byte: Is Unix Dead ?
Date: 20 Aug 92 21:37:29 GMT
Organization: University of Alaska Computer Network

In article <1992Aug20.155849.147103@zeus.calpoly.edu> mneideng@thidwick.acs.calpoly.edu (Mark Neidengard) writes:
>From: mneideng@thidwick.acs.calpoly.edu (Mark Neidengard)
>Subject: Re: Byte: Is Unix Dead ?
>Date: 20 Aug 92 15:58:49 GMT


>Well, that certainly was an interesting article that Byte threw together,
>and it is representative of the quality that lifts Byte above the PC magazines
>and other platform-specific periodicals.  However, I think that the article
>was a little skewed in its outlook.  Byte is first and foremost a periodical
>of "personal computing," including, but not limited to, the PC on the
>desktop.  IN THAT context the thrust of the article is true: Windows NT will
>be in a very good position to damage Unixes ON THE PERSONAL DESKTOP.

Agreed

>However, I think the notion of Windows killing Unix PER SE is ridiculous.
>The people that NEED and USE Unix right now are primarily the Higher
>Educational facilties and the national research centers and corporations
>that currently comprise the Internet.

Nope, these people need the facilites and resources that Unix provides, not
Unix itself.

>All the Snake, SPARCstation, and SGI
>owners out there should have an appreciation of the durability and enormous
>power and convenience (most of the time) of Unix.  It is simply impossible
>for Microsoft (as powerful as it is on the PC scene) to displace an
>operating system that runs on ALL the important computing centers of the
>interconnected electronic world.

Gee, it was about 12 years ago that we heard from mini- and mainframe makers
that while the PC was a cute little toy, no-one would seriously consider
using it for anything that could be done on a mini/mainframe.

>Anyone who has used a NeXT or HP VUE (or
>any of countless other good implementations of X) will see the ugliness of
>the Windows GUI

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  I don't think the Windows GUI is UGLY
(tho it ain't as pretty as NeXTStep).  Then again, maybe I've been to busy
getting productive work done on Windows to notice.

>and the fundamental lack of power that X users have come to
>take for granted.  It is simply impossible to remove all the people that use
>Unix, will use Unix, and have used Unix from their beliefs, investments, and
>habits of using Unix.

First, the fundamental lack of power is in the Windows 3.1/DOS architecture,
not the windows API.  Windows NT is a completely different operating system
that uses a similar API and will be able to run Win16,Win32,OS/2 1.3, and
POSIX programs to some extent.  Secondly, NT may compete well in the
workstation market and some multiple CPU machine markets (due to symmetrical
multiprocessing).  I don't think any reasonable person has claimed that NT
will wipe out Unix everywhere.

>In short: NT will appeal to the super-PC-weenies as the PC becomes more and
>more powerful, but the workstations that the TRULY power-savy users use will
>continue to run Unix.

Oh I see, only those who make a sacrifice to the great god of Unix will be
blessed with the ability to be *TRUE* power-savy users.  Sheesh...Unix bigots

>YOU DON'T BUY A SNAKE TO RUN WINDOWS, NO MATTER WHAT QUALITY PLUMBING IS UNDER
>IT!

No, you don't buy a snake to run windows, you buy it to run APPLICATION
SOFTWARE and to actually ACCOMPLISH PRODUCTIVE WORK.  In the past, the power
of RISC workstations was available only to Unix users.  NT *may* change that.
IMHO, you are confusing the functionality gained by using a tool to the tool
itself.  If another tool does the same thing (and even surpasses your old
tool in some areas), costs less, and is easier to use, why not use the new
tool?  Yes, there is significant investment in Unix, but over time, if NT is
better, people will switch.  In my eyes, the advantage of NT is that it has
the ability to merge the power of RISC workstations with the incredible
variety and comptetion that goes with PC's.  Don't you want less expensive
software and more variety?  Do you really care what the name on the box is?

>Mark Neidengard
>mneideng@cosmos.acs.calpoly.edu
>"LOWER--the DYNAMITE!"
>        DJ Magic Mike

-Michael R. Platzke (sxmrp@orca.alaska.edu)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.advocacy