Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!spdcc!dyer From: dyer@spdcc.COM (Steve Dyer) Newsgroups: comp.unix.xenix Subject: Re: Microsoft dropping Xenix Message-ID: <432@spdcc.COM> Date: Fri, 4-Dec-87 17:52:45 EST Article-I.D.: spdcc.432 Posted: Fri Dec 4 17:52:45 1987 Date-Received: Wed, 9-Dec-87 06:48:17 EST References: <4610@well.UUCP> Reply-To: dyer@spdcc.COM (Steve Dyer) Organization: S.P. Dyer Computer Consulting, Cambridge MA Lines: 34 Keywords: Microport Real Unix Ho hum. Listen, if Microport put more time into debugging their product and improving their customer support, and less time posting self-serving articles to the net, they and their customers would be a lot better off. Amy Snader's comments (which were in response to earlier self-serving horn-tooting) were right on the mark. Microsoft has a proven track record of upwards compatibility with their earlier systems as well as a very large user base. It also has a very good product in their 286 and 386 versions of XENIX which are robust, rich in features and don't crash. Their main customer "front end", SCO, provides high quality support. This leads me to reasonably believe that whetever merged product Microsoft comes out with will be of similar quality. Now, what are we faced with from Microport? Lots of bug reports, lots of freely given advise from other net folks to buy XENIX because of their flaky experience with Microport UNIX, and content-free news articles from its prez and vice-prez which consist of little other than marketing jargon and bizarre comments about Microsoft's ability to deliver a merged product. Perhaps it's been Microport's experience that this is a Hard Problem, but anyone with any technical skill knows that it isn't. Listen, no one is out to "get" Microport. But if it don't work, it don't matter how "UNIX System V.3-compatible" it is. Improve what you sell, and you won't need to defend yourself with this silliness. People choose systems because they WORK, not because they like one company better than another. -- Steve Dyer dyer@harvard.harvard.edu dyer@spdcc.COM aka {ihnp4,harvard,linus,ima,bbn,m2c}!spdcc!dyer