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- Path: sparky!uunet!dtix!darwin.sura.net!jvnc.net!phage!pjm
- From: pjm@isis.cshl.org (Pat Monardo)
- Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware
- Subject: Re: Unix self annihilation (Was Solaris 2.1 Complaints)
- Message-ID: <BzL40I.CF9@phage.cshl.org>
- Date: 21 Dec 92 00:57:54 GMT
- References: <1992Dec20.205304.19412@udel.edu> <BzKvAv.AFs@phage.cshl.org> <1h32rhINNiqo@cs.widener.edu>
- Sender: news@phage.cshl.org
- Organization: Cold Spring Harbor Labs
- Lines: 43
-
- In article <1h32rhINNiqo@cs.widener.edu> YOUNG@tattoo.cs.widener.edu (Rob Young) writes:
- >sophisticated/aware that you really don't need an IBM, a COMPAQ, etc. for
- >support. PC's are a commodity. Are the OS middle men in jeopardy? How
- >about in 1996, 1998?
- >
-
- to some extent, i hope so. and i am hoping that the new Solaris
- defines a certain class of commodity OS. besides, i would think
- that "OS middle men" mostly care about faster and greater hardware/
- device drivers. it's only what constitues portable coding (API set)
- that is the concern to me.
-
- >If you create an application that takes advantage of an HP/UX system call, you
- >are bound to that OS (unless you do something about it :). Look at AIX,
- >stacks and stack of system calls. Little reminders that the calls are unique
- >to AIX. If however you write an app that makes use of an NT call, what of it??
- >It's only going to run on NT anyhow. You write POSIX compliant apps and avoid
- >this kind of thing and write in-house applications to take advantage of
- >system calls. Is this correct? Why the wonderful function calls if you
- >REALLY can't use them? You really don't want to be bound to a particular OS
- >do you??? Doesn't seem to bother Microsoft's thinking (at least they don't
- >seem to be suffering a loss of market share). So why the function calls if you
- >can't use them? To keep developers busy? :) :) :)
- >
- >A wonderful struggle is taking shape . . .
- >
- > Rob
- >
-
- as part of a small research team, what is important isnt the
- next generation language, programming environment, etc, it is the
- politics of the software component makers. for example, i use XGL
- because i need it. but it is, of course, a portability nightmare.
- i love the idea that i can use sophisticated graphical components
- to build applications. i shouldn't have to be in the business
- of "software commdities" in order to build advanced applications.
- so on one level, SVID is gospel in this marketplace. but we
- need to go farther faster: XGL/ISAM/RPC/OMG/etc. that is
- where the interesting struggle is.
-
- --
- -- Pat Monardo
- -- pjm@cshl.org
-