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From: peter@ferranti.com (peter da silva)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd,comp.unix.solaris,comp.sys.misc
Subject: Re: Solaris 1.1 vs. Solaris 2.0 (BSD vs AT&T)
Message-ID: <id.NHIV.4FB@ferranti.com>
Date: 3 Dec 92 17:50:18 GMT
References: <22947@venera.isi.edu> <id.FOCV.Q52@ferranti.com> <1992Dec1.184115.8699@fcom.cc.utah.edu>
Followup-To: comp.sys.misc
Organization: Xenix Support, FICC
Lines: 93
I think the folks in comp.unix.bsd and .solaris would be happier if we moved
this discussion elsewhere.
In article <1992Dec1.184115.8699@fcom.cc.utah.edu> terry@cs.weber.edu (A Wizard of Earth C) writes:
> This isn't true. Most DOS applications won't run under NT without some
> extensive modifications, or running under a virtual (8086) machine.
And you can bet that the V8086 support in NT will be top-notch. Better than
you *can* do in a traditional UNIX implementation because of interrupt and
context switch latency.
And it will support Windows better than UNIX or OS/2. Microsoft will make
sure of that.
> >DOS and Windows run on more computers than the total of all UNIX shipments
> >on all platforms.
> This has very little to do with anything.
Sure it does. It's an installed base of applications that HAS to be dealt
with if you want to get any significant market share.
> You can't lump DOS and Windows users into the same boat.
Sure I can. A DOS user is a Windows user who isn't currently using Windows.
A Windows user is a DOS user who happens to be running Windows.
> The MS Windows API is easily supported on UNIX with X,
I would be most interested to see support for this claim. Oh, you said API.
DOS and Windows users could care less about API.
> and I will argue that
> the trouble one has to go to to port a "DOS specific" Windows app to NT
Who will need to port it? It will run.
> Yes, very much so (at least this is what I believe).
Well, the market has shown no signs of caring in the past.
> This is because the idea
> of a "compute server" requires a more powerful box to run the computation
> than the end user has on their desk (ie: not an NT box)
Why "ie: not an NT box"?
> and SMB is ill
> suited to large network/mainframe/supermini environments.
Most DOS/Windows users aren't in large network/mainframe/supermini
environments. That's not the target market for NT, or Univel. It's small
business and high end desktop.
> People care because X alleviates the same drawbacks that have kept NeXT from
> taking over the computer market entirely:
Next couldn't take over the computer market entirely because:
1. It didn't run DOS/Windows as well as an equivalently priced 386.
2. Applications cost 2 or more times what they cost for DOS or Windows.
None of the points you listed were even on most people's minds.
> >Naturally, The problems of UNIX are easy to fix. But nobody has actaully
> >gone and fixed them. I doubt anyone will.
> I think that NeXTStep, Destiny, and Univel's UNIXWare have all done a lot
> in this direction.
You think so? I don't. When something goes wrong and you need to fix it out
comes the xterm and in go the cryptic commands. It's still UNIX under the hood,
and you either need to buy traditional UNIX expertise or grow it to support
any of these systems on an ongoing basis.
> I think there will be a shakedown, but I don't think NT is ready to compete
> head-on in the UNIX marketplace,
Who cares? The UNIX marketplace is negligable.
> and UNIX is very close, if not already able to compete in NT's marketplace.
But nobody is making that last step.
> NT will probably compete head on
> with MS Windows, and only somewhat (say 30%) with DOS.
But that's where all the money is!
--
%Peter da Silva/77487-5012 USA/+1 713 274 5180/Have you hugged your wolf today?
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