Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!ptsfa!ames!husc6!cmcl2!acf3!spector From: spector@acf3.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac Subject: Re: Macintosh II not Macintosh ][ Message-ID: <170011@acf3.NYU.EDU> Date: Mon, 6-Jul-87 20:24:00 EDT Article-I.D.: acf3.170011 Posted: Mon Jul 6 20:24:00 1987 Date-Received: Thu, 9-Jul-87 02:12:19 EDT References: <80@f.gp.cs.cmu.edu> Organization: New York University Lines: 79 >An operating system that forces me to sit and "twiddle my thumbs" >(or anything equally silly, such as "look through the TV guide," >"go bother the cat," "go get another can of pepsi," etc) while >printing (or anything else you might want to do on your computer, >such as "compiling," "transferring a file," "ray tracing," etc) >just cannot be LIGHTYEARS ahead of Unix. At best it is five years >behind. > >>Despite all of this hype about Unix on >>Macintosh most "real"(*) computer users have no use for Unix... > >I am no fan of Unix but I prefer Unix over the Macintosh's OS any day. >Even if the Mac OS came wrapped in a 25 Mhz 68020 and the Unix on a >wimpy 750. The multitasking Unix would still more productive. > >Ali Ozer, ali@rocky.stanford.edu Yeah, I suppose you're right. Command line interfaces, commands like 'rm', 'ls', 'mv', i-nodes, and useful, full featured applications such as 'bc' are much more useful than a visual interface and Microsoft Excel on a Macintosh. :-) Seriously, multitasking would be a nice addition to the Macintosh evironment, but its absence doesn't mean that people (yes, "real" people) cannot get more use out of a Macintosh than out of a Unix box. Multitasking will be here soon enough though...its better that Apple (and every one else) has gotten most of the User Interface issues out of the way first. Not that there aren't going to be a lot of broken bits when Juggler, or whatever it'll be called when Apple releases it, comes out but those things will be fixable. Bad user interface design, poorly thought out applications, badly written manuals and other similar nasties are harder to fix in the long run. Granted, that if you are developing large software systems, and have to do large numbers of compilations, multitasking is nice..but I (and hundreds of other folk) have developed software without it. Waiting for printing isn't a major hassle(it gives me a chance to make another pot o'coffee), and if it is... buy a print spooler -- cost ya less than $100 (less than half the cost of a good compiler). In its current form, Unix is not a OS for the masses, no matter how often people try to make it one by stating that it is. It's a programmer's environment. (Some noble attempts have been/are being made tho --i.e. SunWindows X, et al..) In my other hat as a professional consultant, I deal with people ("real computer users" NOT programmers!) who don't have the time to WASTE learning how to use a computer. Remember, most of the people who USE computers are not programmers. In fact, in the real world, where people have to make money, run businesses, save lives, et al (not Universities where you and I work -- the ultimate in non real-world environments) if you tried to put Unix boxes in someones' office and then said "OK - Here's your computer, all you have to know to use it is in these 4 or 5 three inch thick manuals", you'd be lucky if you weren't run outta town on a rail! In fact the growing complexity of command line oriented personal computers (read: MS-DOS machines) is leading to incredible problems in support and training. 'wonder why IBM is trying to make the PS/2's look like small beige (and now "Platinum") boxes? As for productivity, there are many, many more things one can do with a Macintosh than any Unix system. For starters, take a look at Excel, MORE, Word, MacWrite, MacPaint, Illustrator, PageMaker, Express, MacDraw, etc, and so on. David HM Spector Senior Systems Programmer Academic Computing Center Graduate School of Business Administration, New York University SPECTOR@NYU.EDU ...!{seismo,allegra,inhp4}!cmcl2!spector Disclaimer: I have a Macintosh, I use one all day, every day, in fact I couldn't start my day without it. In addition, I write Macintosh software, and am obviously VERY biased towards the little critters. Despite all that I try to be completely objective in discussions such as this. ;-) *Oh, yeah. These are MY opinions, and my employer don't know nuthin about it.