Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!thunder.mcrcim.mcgill.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!mintaka!think.com!yale.edu!qt.cs.utexas.edu!cs.utexas.edu!convex!texsun!cronkite!exodus!stpeter.Eng.Sun.COM!cmcmanis From: cmcmanis@stpeter.Eng.Sun.COM (Chuck McManis) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.misc Subject: Re: A new Amiga needed...and soon! Message-ID: <16029@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM> Date: 30 Jun 91 04:56:06 GMT References: <1991Jun27.025556.6986@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu> <1991Jun29.194017.10138@apollo.hp.com> <1991Jun29.204141.22773@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu> Sender: news@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mt. View, Ca. Lines: 51 In some article (Ray Cromwell) writes: > What we need is an OS with a P-CODE loader (this makes it processor >independent), Multiprocessing, Multitasking, multiuser, seamless networking >(like the ability to dynamically link/call functions across a net, >multiprocessing on a LAN, etc), device independent graphics/sound, >voice recognition, handwriting recognition, built in 3d rendering >w/seamless integration of power gloves and 3d visors, etc. >Yes, I'm dreaming. Nice dream though, please pass the pipe. :-) > Really, this is a combination of AmigaDOS, Unix, Plan 9, XWindows, > Mac's System, Penpoint, Sphinx. You forgot the smiley face. You should check out OSF's latest fooforah something called "ANDF" which sounds like your P-CODE idea. Only it is a bit different, they actually want to "compile" ANDF code into the native machine code and then run that compiled executable. Sounds like a support nightmare to me (how do you know if a bug in the application you just sold your customer is in your code or the ANDF compiler? And if it is in the ANDF compiler how do you convince the customer? Virii are also a sticky issue if your compiler gets infected) Several different p-code like systems have of course been tried, the most common being UCSD Pascal and Xerox's SmallTalk system (which was a virtual machine). Unfortunately such systems always seem to be at a disadvantage to something like IBM PC clones which just forego the various architectures and all use the same one. > I can't wait for the day when we all have fiber-optic network lines >to the home just like phones. ... I'd just like PacBell to get off their butt and get ISDN service to my house. Even for a zillion dollars they don't seem to inclined to offer this, much less direct fiber. > I believe on (one?) day there will be a processor independent, platform >independent, extensive OS. I could care less if it run MSDOS programs or not, >I'd rather discard that excess baggage for state of the art. Well SmallTalk or a decent Lisp environment might cover it then. Did you want an "extensive" or "extensible" OS ? Either way it will take a lot of memory :-) but heck, they're showing of 64MBit DRAMS at ISSCC so those 4MB simms ought to be getting cheap enough for the home market. -- --Chuck McManis Sun Microsystems uucp: {anywhere}!sun!cmcmanis BIX: Internet: cmcmanis@Eng.Sun.COM These opinions are my own and no one elses, but you knew that didn't you. "I tell you this parrot is bleeding deceased!"