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- Path: node238.fc.net!goochb
- From: goochb@rwi.com (William D. Gooch)
- Newsgroups: comp.lang.java,comp.lang.c++,comp.lang.smalltalk
- Subject: Re: Advice to Java proponents (was Re: Will Java kill C++?)
- Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 09:12:43
- Organization: RothWell International
- Message-ID: <goochb.329.0009368A@rwi.com>
- References: <31684F33.2528@ibm.net> <denatale-0804960926250001@grail1213.nando.net> <316D09A4.7A92@possibility.com> <1996Apr11.184145.17550@slc.com>
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- In article <1996Apr11.184145.17550@slc.com> aland@servio.slc.com (Alan Darlington) writes:
-
- >Todd Hoff <tmh@possibility.com> writes:
- >> The why did not smalltalk take off?
-
- >Some think it is... :-) Historically, lack of availability, high
- >cost, high learning curve, the reluctance of managers to risk their
- >necks on unproven (i.e. IBM is not using it :-) technology, etc.
-
- Ah, but they are, and have been since long before they were
- selling Smalltalk themselves.
-
- >Being better (IMHO) does not guarantee success.
-
- Define "success." If it means "taking over the world," then
- Smalltalk is not succeeding, and neither is any other language
- except C and C++. If it means "gaining a profitable and
- sustainable market share," then Smalltalk appears to be
- succeeding. Actual success depends heavily on a market
- perception of success, and hence has a strongly emotional
- basis. Snob appeal doesn't sell very well with software, and
- "better" is often perceived as "harder to use," regardless of
- whether the latter is accurate.
-
- "Worse is better." - Richard Gabriel
-
- Since being "better" usually costs *a lot* more, it makes
- large-scale success much more difficult, unless one is able
- to apply strong marketing and accept initial losses to gain
- market share. Your pricing analysisis quite apropos. Also, the
- average application isn't very far up on the complexity curve,
- and hence doesn't require the capabilities of a language such
- as Smalltalk.
-
- (I think there's a lot to be said for slow, steady growth - which
- is what seems to be happening with Smalltalk - rather than
- explosive growth. Rapid growth can easily result in a backlash
- effect due to premature application, and the resulting problems.
- When a technology has the chance to mature over time, being
- gradually applied more broadly as it becomes proven to be
- effective, longevity is more likely.)
-
-
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- William D. Gooch
- RothWell International
- goochb@rwi.com
- Texas liaison for the International Programmers Guild
- For information on IPG, see http://www.ipgnet.com/ipghome.htm
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-