Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!APPLE.COM!nli!jym
From: nli!jym@APPLE.COM
Newsgroups: gnu.misc.discuss
Subject: Manifesto question
Message-ID: <8908182322.AA11892@nlp9>
Date: 18 Aug 89 23:22:08 GMT
References: <13211@well.UUCP>
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> The notion that "system software" is "operating systems, editors,
> and compilers" is dated, and belongs to the DEC-20 era.

I'm afraid I don't follow you on this one.  (But then, I'm one of those
 folks who's waiting for modern operating systems to advance to where
  TOPS-20 was years ago.)

EMACS wasn't officially part of the TOPS-20 system, though I never ran
 into a system that didn't have it.  It was an application that you
  added to the system.  Yet I couldn't imagine using TOPS-20 without
   it.  TOPS-20 without EMACS is not the same system.

(Anyone confused yet about the distinction between system software and
 application software?)
  <_Jym_>