Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site lsuc.UUCP Path: utzoo!lsuc!jimomura From: jimomura@lsuc.UUCP (Jim Omura) Newsgroups: net.micro.amiga Subject: Re: Amiga OS (vs Unix) Liscencing? Message-ID: <1118@lsuc.UUCP> Date: Fri, 14-Feb-86 22:09:11 EST Article-I.D.: lsuc.1118 Posted: Fri Feb 14 22:09:11 1986 Date-Received: Fri, 14-Feb-86 22:55:14 EST References: <1270@caip.RUTGERS.EDU> Reply-To: jimomura@lsuc.UUCP (Jim Omura) Organization: Barrister & Solicitor, Toronto Lines: 103 Summary: Finally a good reply. Before I begin, thank you for your very appreciated reply. In article <1270@caip.RUTGERS.EDU> mwm%ucbopal@BERKELEY.EDU@caip.RUTGERS.EDU writes: >From: Mike (I'll be mellow when I'm dead) Meyer > >Jim Omura (lsuc!jimomura ?) Makes a few questionable statemens: > >> Now we're getting to the crux of the problem. If "Intuition" is >>only "as good as" OS-9 or anything else, or at best can become an >>OS of this level, then Commodore (and Atari) have really done a >>disservice to the 68000 world. The *last* thing we needed was >>another wheel reinvented. To be excusable, I have to say that >>TriPOS must be shown to be *better* than OS-9. It clearly isn't. > >No, but it isn't clear that OS-9 is superior to TRIPOS, either. What >is clear is that OS-9 inherited at least one of Unix's fundamental >flaws, whereas TRIPOS didn't. In other words, it *could* be better >than OS-9, given a little development time. Actually, if you're a >hacker, it already is. I can do stackable line disciplines in TRIPOS. >Can I do them in OS-9? There are probably other, similar things that I >haven't found yet. Excellent. What are they and where do they become an advantage? > >>At this time OS-9 has become essentially a standard for small systems based >>on 68K's. > >Can I get OS-9 for Stride? Pinnacle? the Tandy 68K box? Compupro 68K >systems? I don't think so (unless it's from second-party vendors), but >TRIPOS runs on both the Stride and the Pinnacle. Anyone know if >carefully-written (i.e., avoiding the windowing/graphics software) >code will run on TRIPOS? Along the same lines, what kind of >windowing/graphics standard exists for OS/9-68K. Good point. Except OS-9 is widely used around the world. HSC in particular sells it in Europe and in Japan it runs on various Fujitsu and, I think Hitachi machines. Fujitsu in particular is a company I think most people here should have heard of by now. It is one of the big 3 computer mfrs. in Japan. They make everything from personal computers to mainframes of very high capacity and power. It would not surprise me to find out that Fujitsu's 68000 OS-9 systems have outsold Stride and Pinnacle combined on a world-wide basis. Then there are the numerous single board computers based on the Mizar, Gimix and Helix 68K multi-user systems. There is a development system for the VME-10 which should be usable with similarly configured VME bus computers and of course SS-50 systems. There are other single board OS-9 systems as well. The Emerald 68K systems come to mind. As for myself, I'm waiting for the port to the Motel Cypher board to be completed. I expect to have my 68K system up by April. The last I heard, the Atari port is expected this spring. Now, as for the Amiga port, I have no idea, but J. Jones' recent posting disturbs me. It looks like the people attempting that port are in trouble, unless I misunderstood the gist of it. >Don't complain about Amiga having chosen a non-US OS for their box. >TRIPOS does have a following (which I was happy to find out; TRIPOS >has always seemed like to nice an OS to die), it's just not as visible >as OS-9, being mostly in Britian. They didn't raise a new >"non-standard", they just chose one you weren't familiar with. I read British computer magazines on a fairly regular basis. (Which Computer?, Which Micro, Your Computer, Computing Today and whatever else comes across the pond--not all issues, but a couple of each every year with a half dozen issues/yr. of a couple of them. The British seem to be able to support an amazing number of periodicals every month.) I have rarely seen mention of TRIPOS. OS-9 68K isn't all that well known in England either, but OS-9 6809 is. But then the British even prefer Flex (no, not Uniflex but the *old* Flex) to OS-9, so what can you make of popularity in England? :-) >>There are times and ways to break new ground--to advance the state of the art. > >You're right, and I think this is one of them. It's time to outgrow >Unix and it's look-alikes. OS-9 presents lots of interesting >improvements over Unix's of the early 80's (most of which are now in >system V, except for the much better speed), and MicroWare is to be >congratulated for helping spread the word about such things. AmigaDOS >presents lots of interesting improvements over Unix's today. It >*isn't* useable as a replacement for either Unix or OS-9 in many >places where they are used. But it makes some good ideas visible to >the world, (we're talking about them, aren't we?), and is to be >applauded for doing so. I'll assume this doesn't end the discussion. I expect that you *will* find more points which you feel give you and advantage. So far, I can't say that I feel your points show that TRIPOS is a system to "grow into" from OS-9. You have pointed out a feature which you feel gives it an advantage. It isn't a feature which I recognize, but even still I have my doubts whether it's all that significant (I think I know what you're talking about, but I'm not sure and if it *is* what I think it is, I can't see any advantage to it at all--not disadvantageous, just not better.) Anyway, I'll look forward to the next instalment if any. Cheers! -- Jim O. -- James Omura, Barrister & Solicitor, Toronto ihnp4!utzoo!lsuc!jimomura Byte Information eXchange: jimomura (416) 652-3880