From: jbone@splat.dell.com (Jeff Bone)
Subject: Re: New idea: forget Open Systems. N(o)T! (was Re: Open...)
Organization: Dell Computer Co
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 01:12:43 GMT

thomsen@spf.trw.com (Mark Thomsen) writes:
>Jeff Bone writes
>> <lots and lots of stuff deleted, and one item that maybe does not
>>  require a response, but it is late Friday ...>
>> I think NT has great room for stealing a few good concepts from UNIX
>> while offering reduced functionality out-of-the-box, all the while
>> slathering them over with this sludgey Windows- and DOS-derived interface.
>> Now, if what I really want is multitasking, threads, networking, and
>> a few other UNIXy things, why wouldn't I buy UNIX instead?  I still
>> can't see a compelling reason.
>
>The ratio of the number of software applications on DPS:Unix is perhaps
>10:1 or  
>greater. The ratio of machines running DOS:Unix is perhaps 20:1 or greater.  
>These ratios feed on each other, possibly increasing with time.
>
>So if one is going to write a new operating system one is tempted to attain
>DOS compatability so that prospective customers see all those PC applications  
>as accessible. If one is going to create something to replace DOS on existing  
>PCs one would be foolish to not strive for DOS compatability.

(note:  when I say DOS, I mean DOS/Windows/potentially NT, whatever)

Two small points.  First, the #apps under DOS argument doesn't cut it in
my book, because 99% of those apps are pure crap.  IMHO, there are already
scads more truly killer apps running on NeXTStep than DOS anyway.  For
every application category I can think of that exists on DOS, there's
an app that exists on most flavors of UNIX that does what I need as well
if not better.  AND there are many classes of applications which exist
in the UNIXy world which simply *cannot* live in a cramped, lobotomized
DOS environment.

Second, most serious implementations of UNIX these days offer some
degree of DOS compatibility, either in the vendor distribution or via
a third-party product.  Case in point, both the Sun 386i I'm logged
in on right now (SunOS 4.0.2, albeit an odd release of that ;) and the
Dell 433 running our SVR4 release that I use at work run DOS.  In fact,
on the Sun, I can run *many* simultaneous virtual DOS PCs, each in
its own window, and run X simultaneously.  AND I get pretty good perf.
doing it.  A significant portion of DOSsy games even run on my Sun
box (for instance, I've got SimCity going over here on this same box
in a DOS session).

Now, last I heard, the reverse isn't true:  I don't believe I can take
UNIXy apps and run them under DOS, even with the benefit of some third
party software.  ;)  Correct me if I'm wrong. ;) ;)  Now, once NT comes
out it *might* be possible to serverize UNIX compatibility for it, much
like the Chorus/MIX approach, Mach, etc, but until I see it and until
I see that it performs even close to as well as a native UNIX running
DOS and Windows apps in some compatibility mode, this whole arg. doesn't
even wash.


Bottom line:  SVR4, SunOS, possibly other UNIXes, NeXTStep, and even
the poor old Mac, Amiga, and Atari ST(!) can run DOS apps via SoftPC
or something similar.  The converse is just simply never true.  That
should tell you something about the flexibility and inherit limitations
which you get with DOS... :P :)


Ciao!  Standard disclaimer.


jb





--
-- Jeff Bone ------------------------------------------------------------
      "Imagination is more important than knowledge."  - A. Einstein
------------------------------------------------------- jbone@dell.com --
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Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.advocacy