Xref: utzoo comp.os.minix:7660 comp.unix.xenix:8187 Path: utzoo!utgpu!utstat!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!ucsfcgl!cca.ucsf.edu!root From: root@cca.ucsf.edu (Systems Staff) Newsgroups: comp.os.minix,comp.unix.xenix Subject: Re: dosread.c again Summary: Don't underestimate the ability of suppliers to abuse customers. Message-ID: <2521@ucsfcca.ucsf.edu> Date: 24 Oct 89 10:23:59 GMT References: <3717@ast.cs.vu.nl> <3a18.2536ede8@ibmpcug.co.uk> <3721@ast.cs.vu.nl> <1989Oct23.155023.28185@utzoo.uucp> Organization: Computer Center, UCSF Lines: 40 In article <1989Oct23.155023.28185@utzoo.uucp>, henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) writes: > ... > >Why do you think so many people used (use?) VMS? > > Because they were seduced by DEC propaganda. :-) No smiley needed; DEC put out a sales force to push VMS and tried to sweep Unix under the rug for a long time. > ... > Actually, although I don't dismiss the possibility of sheer incompetence, > software bloat is everywhere these days. As witness the 500KB text editors > that very definitely are *not* 10 times better than the 50KB ones we used > to have. As soon as the suppliers found out they could charge more for a big program than for a small one that did the same job the game changed. The compactness and efficiency that users would like were quickly discouraged by their own actions. Well, the knowledgeable users would like it; the status game players are another story. And the hardware manufacturers love it -- sells more expensive machines, right? Guess what software they are going to recommend? And that one works both ways; if the machine it runs on costs more you can charge more for the software. Thos Sumner Internet: thos@cca.ucsf.edu (The I.G.) UUCP: ...ucbvax!ucsfcgl!cca.ucsf!thos BITNET: thos@ucsfcca U.S. Mail: Thos Sumner, Computer Center, Rm U-76, UCSF San Francisco, CA 94143-0704 USA I hear nothing in life is certain but death and taxes -- and they're working on death. #include