Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!maverick.ksu.ksu.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!milo.mcs.anl.gov!atlantis.ees.anl.gov!korp From: korp@atlantis.ees.anl.gov (Peter Korp) Newsgroups: comp.sys.next Subject: Re: X11 opinion. Message-ID: <1990Oct23.005737.18459@mcs.anl.gov> Date: 23 Oct 90 00:57:37 GMT References: <564@kaos.MATH.UCLA.EDU> <9657@milton.u.washington.edu> Sender: news@mcs.anl.gov Organization: Advanced Computer Application Center, Argonne National Laboratory Lines: 57 Nntp-Posting-Host: atlantis.ees.anl.gov In article <9657@milton.u.washington.edu> mrc@Tomobiki-Cho.CAC.Washington.EDU (Mark Crispin) writes: >In article dd26+@andrew.cmu.edu (Douglas F. DeJulio) writes: >>I wish people would abandon >>this foolishnes called X11. > >And replace it with what, pray tell? > NeXTstep or NeWS would be wonderful alternatives. >The "foolishness" of X11 allows multi-platform graphics connectivity >that NeXTstep does not allow. > Not entirely true. Yes NeXTstep only runs on NeXT and IBM machines but it is inherently network based and there is nothing, other than NeXT and IBM, preventing the port of NeXTstep to other platforms. [stuff deleted] >The "foolishness" of X11 allows the use of multi-national character >sets which NeXTstep does not as yet do, *including* in 2.0. All we >have from NeXT is promises. With "foolish" X11 using XNeXT, those of >us who want to do Japanese JIS, Chinese GB, and Chinese BIG5 >processing on a NeXT can do so *now*, without waiting for NeXT to >deliver on promises which may never be fufilled. > It seems that Toshiba was able to produce a SPARCportable offering this capability under NeWS. Its just a matter of time before the fonts become available in standard PostScript formats. >"Foolish" X11 allows us to use US-produced and maintained hardware to >access the 25 Dynasties database at our East Asian Languages Library >instead of having to buy Taiwanese PCs that explode if the monitor is >turned on before the CPU is. What exactly is your point? Both NeXT and Sun manufacture in the good old US of A. and are cost competetive with some of those high end Taiwanese PCs. >Such "foolishness", to want to be able get your work done! In my 2 years of working with all three systems I would wager that programmers are 2-20 times more productive in NeXTstep or NeWS than in X, and it doesn't matter which X toolkit you use. >If I were to wager on which was more likely to survive longer, X11 or >NeXT, I would put my money on "foolish" X11. I will agree, but it sure makes a sad statement for the supposed computer professionals out there if it does. X has served its purpose, now lets move on to more mature technology. Have you ever noticed how every new version of X looks more and more like NeWS or NeXTstep? Lets have hybrid systems to tide us over while we withdraw from X and then good riddance. [signature deleted] Peter ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Naturally my opinions are my own!