Xref: utzoo comp.sources.wanted:17205 comp.editors:3422 comp.emacs:10944 Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!paul.rutgers.edu!brushfire.rutgers.edu!gaynor From: gaynor@brushfire.rutgers.edu (Silver) Newsgroups: comp.sources.wanted,comp.editors,comp.emacs Subject: Re: SUMMARY: Super-simple UNIX editor Message-ID: Date: 22 Jun 91 15:31:27 GMT References: <1991Jun18.065340.25187@yenta.alb.nm.us> <17174@darkstar.ucsc.edu> <1991Jun19.013030.23227@cbfsb.att.com> <1991Jun19.192526.21975@chinet.chi.il.us> <1991Jun20.032655.5418@leland.Stanford.EDU> Followup-To: comp.sources.wanted Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. Lines: 33 fangchin@leland.stanford.edu writes: > At both places, MIS/technical computing control everything, even workstaions > owned by my group (bought using group's budget). No one can be a root unless > you are from MIS/technical computing dept. Who needs to be root, anyway? As long as the space and cpu cycles are available... > 6Mhz IBM PC/AT with 30 Megs HD was replaced by a stupid IBM PS/2 55SX. This is my opinion only, not a statement of fact. Your MIS/group leaders have a pretty screwed up idea of what a productive development environment looks like. Jeepers, do you have any idea of how many mips and megs you can get nowadays for a few grand? Ok, well, neither do I. I know enough that for about $5k, I could probably wind up with an Sparc SLC with a couple hundred megs. > Conclusions: > Don't depend anything big and requires root privilage to install. > => super simplity/smallness is MUST => NO FSF GNU emacs. Simplicity/smallness (ie optimized for space, speed, and simplicity) is right for the tiny little embedded systems. This is totally unacceptable for a human environment -- humans benefit greatly from a little extra effort. Computers and peripherals are becoming so cheap that there is very little reason to skimp. How much does a 10 mip processor cost nowadays? A quality 300 meg disk? Thinnet cable, per foot? Consider this cost relative to improved productivity. It _is_ reasonable for me to say that developers spend most of their time tapping at an editor, right? Suppose one person can work 5% faster because they have a superior editor at their disposal? Suppose five people work 5% faster? YOU're a scientific type, YOU do the analysis. Regards, [Ag]