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From: es1@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Ethan Solomita)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Windows on Amiga...
Message-ID: <1990Nov26.203523.7533@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu>
Date: 26 Nov 90 20:35:23 GMT
References: <9011220510.AA19265@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> <1388@mpirbn.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de>
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In article <1388@mpirbn.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de> p554mve@mpirbn.UUCP (Michael van Elst) writes:
>Well, windows for the IBM PC needs to be a complete operating system since
>it has to add a lot of functionality to the plain MS-DOS to allow f.e.
>multi-tasking (somehow) and interclient communcation.
>
>The AmigaOS does provide these services already, so the only thing you'd
>need would be a translation library that converts Windows calls into
>AmigaOS calls (and maybe some graphics data too).
>
>But then, I don't think that this would be valuable.
>
	On the contrary, it might be extremely valuable. Example:
Commodore is approaching company X which makes an incredible
product for windows. They say, "We'd really like you to port your
program." The amount of money required is directly proportional
to the amount of time the port will take, which is also dir.
prop. to the difficulty of the port.
	Most programs today which are written in C are extremely
portable, with the interface often being the only major problem.
If that problem is removed by writing a mswindows.library which,
once opened, will translate all the MS Windows calls into
equivalent AmigaDOS 2.0/GadTools calls, the company could do the
port with just one or two people in a matter of months, quite
possibly.
	Now people are saying that they want an Amigatized port,
but considering that the Amiga is currently being ignored by most
major software houses I'd say an OK port is better than none! Let
the product come out and the updates can come later.
	If MS developed this product and sold it for $150 list,
it would be a big seller (assuming $75 street), and would,
truthfully, be pirated enough to make it worthwhile for ports to
appear.
	Something similar could be done for Macintosh, but Apple
would flip out and sue everyone in sight. If it were a PD job,
however, there couldn't be a law suit.
	Any "opinions" on this from Commodore sorts?


>Regards,
>-- 
>Michael van Elst
>UUCP:     universe!local-cluster!milky-way!sol!earth!uunet!unido!mpirbn!p554mve
>Internet: p554mve@mpirbn.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de
>                                "A potential Snark may lurk in every tree."

	-- Ethan

	Woody Allen on Los Angeles:

	"I mean, who would want to live in a place where the only
cultural advantage is that you can turn right on a red light?"