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From: peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix,comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.unix.xenix
Subject: IBM and Apple Operating Systems (Re: dosread.c again)
Message-ID: <6661@ficc.uu.net>
Date: 24 Oct 89 17:10:27 GMT
References: <3717@ast.cs.vu.nl> <3a18.2536ede8@ibmpcug.co.uk> <3721@ast.cs.vu.nl> <6615@ficc.uu.net> <2526@optilink.UUCP>
Reply-To: peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva)
Organization: Xenix Support, FICC
Lines: 34

In article <2526@optilink.UUCP> cramer@optilink.UUCP (Clayton Cramer) writes:
> In article <6615@ficc.uu.net>, peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva) writes:
> # If this was the case then the Macintosh would be the computer everyone
> # feels disdain for. Making effective use of a DOS machine is much, much

> Missed all the nasty remarks about the "Macintoy" a while back?

See any from me? I tried to talk my own brother into buying one of the
things.

> # Largely because where the Mac is limited by its origins, DOS is limited
> # by deliberate malice on the part of IBM and Microsoft.

> I think a more accurate statement is that DOS is limited by its
> age.

Fiddlesticks, again. It's younger than UNIX, OS/9, MP/M, and a dozen other
operating systems that ran on the same or similar hardware.

> (Of course, Microsoft's approach to software doesn't excite
> me much either, but comparing DOS -- still largely limited by
> hardware compatibility problems from 1979 design requirements) to
> the Mac (five very fast years later) isn't particularly fair.

Right. Single-tasking was forced by a hardware design requirement. The
lack of ANY support for serial I/O was a hardware design requirement.
The original system was a poor copy of CP/M, chosen only because it
was cheap and IBM was pissed at Digital Research (thanks to some stupidity
on the part of Gary Kildall).
-- 
Peter da Silva, *NIX support guy @ Ferranti International Controls Corporation.
Biz: peter@ficc.uu.net, +1 713 274 5180. Fun: peter@sugar.hackercorp.com. `-_-'
"That particular mistake will not be repeated.  There are plenty of        'U`
 mistakes left that have not yet been used." -- Andy Tanenbaum (ast@cs.vu.nl)