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From: minich@d.cs.okstate.edu (Robert Minich)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: UNIX is yuck (was Re: Next intro...)
Message-ID: <1990Oct9.040256.12082@d.cs.okstate.edu>
Date: 9 Oct 90 04:02:56 GMT
References: <1990Oct9.003852.18788@oswego.Oswego.EDU>
Organization: Oklahoma State University
Lines: 37

by ostroff@Oswego.EDU (Boyd Ostroff):
 
[...]
| Take a look at Inside Macintosh sometime, then look at the operating
| system calls in the unix manuals.  I think you'll find the unix version
| much easier to understand than the convoluted Pascal routines on the
| Mac side.

  I'll disagree here. I personally agonize when I have to dig into the
UNIX man pages to track down exactly what I need to know to use a
routine. The description is usually only useful as a reference for
someone who already understands the routine and is just about useless to
those who, like me, don't. Now, admittedly I've spent plenty of time
staring at IM but I've never gotten the feeling that "gee, I wish I
they would explain their explanations." Sure, some concepts may not come
easily but IM tends to be a lot more verbose the UNIX manuals. 
  Now, take into heart that there are lots more routines for the Mac
because there are generally a lot more features to take advantage of on
the Mac. Last I recall, the sections on graphics, sound, memory
management, etc. were non-existant. With X Windows, the world of UNIX
gets a rude introduction to many of the concepts that make the Mac seem
so mysterious. It's just a different way of thinking.
 
> To me, the real strengths of unix are its communications features and the
> fact that it is a multi-user (not just multi-tasking) OS.  If you don't
> need these things, perhaps it's not for you....

  I also respect UNIX boxes for the level of portability they provide.
What other operating system lets you compile the same code on hardware
as diverse as a Cray and an AT&T UNIX PC? That and I'm a technology
junky and for some perverse reason I enjoy exploring the never ending
learning curve UNIX provides.
-- 
|_    /| | Robert Minich            |
|\'o.O'  | Oklahoma State University| A fanatic is one who sticks to 
|=(___)= | minich@d.cs.okstate.edu  | his guns -- whether they are 
|   U    | - Ackphtth               | loaded or not.