NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #20/NN_1992_20.iso/spool/comp/unix/sysv386/14476

Internet Message Format | 1992-09-14 | 2.8 KB

Path: sparky!uunet!gistdev!flint
From: [e-mail] (Flint Pellett)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.sysv386
Subject: Re: DELL SVR4 - separate /usr and /var filesystem?
Keywords: dell svr4 filesystem
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 14 Sep 92 21:01:23 GMT
References: <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]>
Organization: Global Information Systems Technology Inc., Savoy, IL
Lines: 45

[e-mail] (Bill Heiser) writes:

>[e-mail] (Larry Snyder) writes:
>>>> DELL includes the MERGE along with their product (i.e. it is a "nuts and
>>>> bolts complete" release).
>>>IF you want Merge. But why would I want Merge?

>>If you want it, then just type dos.  If you don't, you get to
>>delete it or remove it.
>>At least you have a choice.

>Yeah, but you get to PAY for it whether you want it or not!

And you have to pay for the "ls" command whether you want it or
not.  (Maybe you roll your own ls?)  Personally, there is a lot
to be said for having a system that has everything in it: yes,
you might have to pay more because you're getting MERGE that you
don't need, but you're also getting X-Window (or whatever) that
you do use cheaper because someone else who is using MERGE but
not X helped fund it.  It generally balances out, and even when
it doesn't the end result is actually a lower cost.  Why?
Because customized versions cost money to manage.  If Dell has
just has one configuration to support, they won't spend hours on
the phone messing with customers who have different flavors of
the product with something missing.  Henry Ford figured that out
with the Model T: you could buy it in any color you wanted, as
long as it was black.  By doing it that way, he could produce the
cars cheaper.  When users complained that they wanted 35
different colors, the result was that Ford started offering more
colors to choose from, and the price went up to pay the salaries
of the people who have to keep track of who ordered what color,
and how many of each color do we have in inventory, and why this
color has something wrong with it that isn't wrong in the others,
etc.  Personally, I like black, but I won't be surprised to see
people that share your opinion win out and raise my cost of
transportation as a result.  Just don't forget that Henry sold
quite a lot of Model T's by being a price leader.

Also: I'm using Dell UNIX on a Gateway 486 machine.  Despite dire
warnings about how unstable SVR4 is supposed to be, I've found it
to be very stable, even if I am using it on non-Dell hardware.
--
Flint Pellett, Global Information Systems Technology, Inc.
100 Trade Centre Drive, Suite 301, Champaign, IL  61820     [phone]
uunet!gistdev!flint or [e-mail]