Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!apple!usc!ucla-cs!math.ucla.edu!pico!barry From: barry@pico.math.ucla.edu (Barry Merriman) Newsgroups: comp.sys.next Subject: Re: SPARCstation 2 --> workstation wars Message-ID: <564@kaos.MATH.UCLA.EDU> Date: 19 Oct 90 02:33:15 GMT References: <9224@helios.TAMU.EDU> Sender: news@MATH.UCLA.EDU Organization: UCLA Dept. of Math, UCLA Inst. for Fusion and Plasma Research Lines: 38 In article melling@cs.psu.edu (Michael D Mellinger) writes: >NeXT doesn't have to make faster machines >than Sun as long as they have better system software. Speaking of that---we just got the X11-NeWS for our Suns. Its a major improvement in look and feel over X11 and suntools. In fact, visually its a Mac-NeXTSteP hybrid (Mac icons, NeXTSteP windows, buttons, sliders). Since its PostScript based, it looks much nicer than X. Functionally, it comes with some nice utilities---e.g. graphical directory tree browser, graphical tools for setting preferences and defaults, printing, etc. An ``Unknown''-like feature that automatically does the right thing when you click on a file, a very nice datebook/calendar, and some demos. Plus, you can transparently run X apps (modulo bugs). You can drag & drop files, etc. Its not as nice as NeXTSteP, though. It seems a bit slower, and its not as friendly, slick, or bug free. On a scale of 1--10, I give NeXTStep a 9, NeWS a 7, X a 5, and suntools a 4. Still, my point is: NeWS and NeXTStep are the same order of magnitude of goodness. Superficially, there is not that much practical difference. (Of course, NeXT is vastly superior internally). So, will a NeXT running NeXTStep really look much different than a Sparc running NeWS to the masses? And NeWS gives you X compatibility. I think NeXT should build X into NeXTStep the same way X is built into NeWS. It wouldn't hurt anything, and it would broaden their appeal somewhat. -- Barry Merriman UCLA Dept. of Math UCLA Inst. for Fusion and Plasma Research barry@math.ucla.edu (Internet)