Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbatt!ucbvax!jade!eris!chapman
From: chapman@eris.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.m68k,comp.sys.misc
Subject: Re: What is an OS?
Message-ID: <2369@jade.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Fri, 30-Jan-87 17:52:28 EST
Article-I.D.: jade.2369
Posted: Fri Jan 30 17:52:28 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 31-Jan-87 20:04:27 EST
References: <8520@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU> <1270@cbmvax.cbmvax.cbm.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@jade.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: chapman@eris.BERKELEY.EDU (Brent Chapman)
Organization: UNIXversity of California at Berkeley
Lines: 28
Xref: watmath comp.sys.amiga:1829 comp.sys.mac:1067 comp.sys.m68k:206 comp.sys.misc:276

In article <46@bnl.UUCP> jpm@bnl.UUCP (John McNamee) writes:
>> Meanwhile, I wanna talk about what an operating system is. The
>> definition I've been using for the past few years is simple:
>> 
>> 	An operating system allocates and protects the resources
>> 	of the computer.
>
>Good definition, but somewhat limiting for most microcomputers because the
>hardware just isn't there to protect resources.  I would expand the
>definition to include those systems that allocate and protect resources to
>the best ability of the underlying hardware.  For example, MSDOS is about as
>good an an OS as you can get on a 8088 (ever try 8088 UNIX? I'd call it a
>bad joke rather than an OS).

I think y'all are missing Mike's point:

Most of these (so-called) microcomputer "operating systems" _AREN'T_ !!

Most microcomputer operating systems (including just about everything
but AmigaDOS, OS9, and UNIX/XENIX) are little more than overgrown subroutine
libraries...


Brent
--
Brent Chapman

chapman@eris.berkeley.edu	or	ucbvax!eris!chapman