Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!umriscc!umree!rajuk
From: rajuk@umree.isc.umr.edu (Raju Khubchandani)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.forth
Subject: Re: C compared to Forth
Summary: Price
Message-ID: <1303@umriscc.isc.umr.edu>
Date: 17 Aug 90 04:17:41 GMT
References: <9008111941.AA11132@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> <1522.UUL1.3#5129@willett.pgh.pa.us>
Sender: news@umriscc.isc.umr.edu
Organization: University of Missouri - Rolla
Lines: 35

In article <1522.UUL1.3#5129@willett.pgh.pa.us> dwp@willett.pgh.pa.us (Doug Philips) writes:
   ( deleted  ) ....
>
>I don't know about that part.  What I want to know is why commercial Forths
>are so bloody expensive.  You don't usually even get source!  With the profane
>languages that is less of an issue because you don't want to make your
>compiler incompatible.  In the case of Forth, you'd want the source so
>that you *could* make it compatible.  Forth Inc sells polyForth for > $3000
>last I heard.  I have NEVER seen a C compiler that expensive (I don't
>read the Cray audience trade rags either though).  The main problem with
>ShareWare Forths is that the level of support.  Mix Software can make
>money selling PC C compilers, debuggers and libraries for extremely reasonable
>prices.  They have customer support.  If a cheap Forth came out, I would
>buy it.  If GNU did a Forth, I might use it, but with the CopyLeft, I might
>not, it depends.
>-Doug
          ( deleted )
I would like to get some comments on $119.00 Forth from RTD ( Real Time Devices,
Inc. located in PA ) which they sell for their data acquisition and control
IBM-PC plug- in cards. 

I was developing an application using an applications software package ( not
written in Forth ) called LABTECH NOTEBOOK and a plug-in card from "Data
Translation, Inc." ( located in MA ), but these proved to be awfully slow in 
execution. That is, it could give me a very low sampling rate. Although RTD's
plug-in card is much cheaper, it involves additional programming labor as
compared to LABTECH NOTEBOOK. ( I want to do a PID loop ). Besides, I wonder
if RTD will be faster ! If yes, then how much faster ?

Any suggestions, info or education will be much appreciated.

rajuk@umree.ee.umr.edu