From: "Robert Comer" 

> Which makes OS somewhat irrelevant.

Still have a problem with apps though. (availability)

> But which also means investing huge effort in competing with MS in their
> current space may be futile, 'Unix' has a niche in the server end but I
> think pursuing if for general purpose desktops on PCs is a hobby.

Other than as a reaction against Microsoft, I tend to agree, but the
reaction is quite strong and getting stronger -- they have made a lot of
enemies.

Also, for me anyway, I'm booting more and more into Linux, sometimes
because of cost (I can get more for my money in Linux) and sometimes
because Windows doesn't do some of the things I've gotten used to doing.
(Linux is VERY useful for TCP/IP - LAN/internet diagnostics/testing/setup.)

> And X is a terrible base for a user interface. Hobbling oneself to
> emulations of the tty design error and X-Windows will always make 'Unix'
> ugly.

I agree that X programming is nasty to say the least, I absolutely hate it,
but as a user only using others stuff, it's pretty much the same -- I have
no problem with it and don't think it's any "uglier" than the
Windows UI.

> You shouldn't care what OS you are running. We're not there yet. But I
don't
> see a Unix base as the solution we'll all be using in 10 years time.

You might end up being very surprised.  What I hope is that someone
actually comes up with something better, but I don't really see that
happening right now.  I see myself easily switching to something else in
that time frame, and probably a heck of a lot sooner than that. (<5
years)  Microsoft can do something about that but I don't see them adapting
right now...

- Bob Comer



"Paul Ranson"  wrote in message
news:3e490ff8{at}w3.nls.net...
> "Adam Flinton"  wrote in message
> news:3e47e726{at}w3.nls.net...
> > I think the network basically renders the OS down to the network
services
> it
> > can/does provide. Hooking into SMB running on Linux or whatever &
hooking
> > into SMB running on Windows is one example.
>
> Which makes OS somewhat irrelevant.
>
> But which also means investing huge effort in competing with MS in their
> current space may be futile, 'Unix' has a niche in the server end but I
> think pursuing if for general purpose desktops on PCs is a hobby.
>
> And X is a terrible base for a user interface. Hobbling oneself to
> emulations of the tty design error and X-Windows will always make 'Unix'
> ugly.
>
> > Because the PC as a piece of standardized piece of commodity hardware is
> the
> > industrial way. I also think that one OS is to choice & innovation what
a
> > one party state is to developing good political ideas.
>
> You shouldn't care what OS you are running. We're not there yet. But I
don't
> see a Unix base as the solution we'll all be using in 10 years time.
>
> When I read the Tanenbaum book back in the mid 80s I thought 'cool'. To me
> it's a real shame that Linus didn't.
>
> Paul
>
>

--- BBBS/NT v4.01 Flag-4