Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!philmtl!atha!aunro!myrias!cmt
From: cmt@myrias.com (Chris Thomson)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: In computing, late-bloomers are usually never-bloomers
Message-ID: <629274691.11005@myrias.com>
Date: 10 Dec 89 06:31:29 GMT
References: <24317@cup.portal.com> <480@dmk3b1.UUCP> <1989Nov28.104128.8045@hellgate.utah.edu> <1Tcfjq#9jMTbv=eric@snark.uu.net> <3511@convex.UUCP> <1933@eric.mpr.ca> <1TfOZ0#142gXX=eric@snark.uu.net>
Organization: Myrias Research Corporation
Lines: 22

In article <1TfOZ0#142gXX=eric@snark.uu.net> eric@snark.uu.net (Eric S. Raymond) writes:
>In this industry, technologies with such a profile are usually losers based
>on a fundamental misreading either of engineering possibility or economics.
>Niche markets and the enthusiasm of a few can keep them breathing stertorously
>but they tend to end up having zero impact on the development of computing as
>a whole.
>
>Lisp machines. Forth machines. `Hybrid computing'. Thin-film memory. In 
>software, APL...PL/1...Algol 68. Computing history is littered with the
>corpses of these perpetually promising youngsters. Today, we have ADA and OS/2.
>And tomorrow, I am nearly sure `commodity GaAs' will join this dismal list.

APL, PL/I and Algol68 had considerably more than zero impact.  The impact of
Algol68 in particular has been far reaching, even though the language itself
is not used much anymore.  Algol-W, Pascal, Modula and Ada all owe their
heritage directly to Algol68.  C was influenced heavily by Algol68.  PL/I
(may it fade away quietly) also contributed valuable lessons in language
design.  APL features keep popping up, for instance as vector-valued
subscripts in F8X.
-- 
Chris Thomson, Myrias Research Corporation   uunet!myrias!cmt or cmt@myrias.com
900 10611 98 Ave, Edmonton Alberta, Canada   Tel 403-428-1616  Fax 403-421-8979