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From: bruceb@telesoft.UUCP (Bruce Bergman @spot)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: Re: MINIX -- why?
Message-ID: <404@telesoft.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 4-May-87 16:18:52 EDT
Article-I.D.: telesoft.404
Posted: Mon May  4 16:18:52 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 5-May-87 05:42:09 EDT
References: <2055@uwmcsd1.UUCP>
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Organization: TeleSoft, SanDiego CA
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> I hope that no one takes this article as a flame to MINX.  I have just become 
> aware of this product recently, and I have a few questions about it.

Well, in taking your comments as simply an opinion, I'll try not to flame,
however I thought you should know that PCNX isn't all it's worked up to be.

First, I've used both PCUNIX and PCVMS (and the toolbox).  While it's an
impressive collection of stuff, it no comes no where near the quality of
MINIX.  Many others have recently posted reasons why this is.  

MINIX is a true (albeit slow) multi-tasking system, whereas PCVMS and PCUNIX
aren't.  Wendin makes note of this in their user's manual.  Also, the guys
who wrote both those products are VMS-grown.  They tried to create UNIX from
VMS system services.

I personally prefer VMS to UNIX, however that hasn't stopped me from hacking
on both.  I can appreciate the effort that went into the toolbox.  Really,
that is quite a code job.  Unfortunately, Wendin doesn't seem to understand
that you can't write a decent UNIX using VMS system services.  If it was
easy, someone would have already attempted it.  The Wendin guys are smart
birds; they just need to do it RIGHT and CAREFULLY to make a nifty thing.

Even using the toolbox to write PCVMS was not a smart idea.  Maybe their
yet-to-come-multi-tasking-replacement-for-dos-but-runs-dos-stuff will be
better off in this regard.

You need to consider that Wendin had not intended to produce either of those
two products.  They started with the toolbox and included PCUNIX and PCVMS
as EXAMPLES of how to use the toolbox.  Then they got the idea that those
two could sell on their own.  Only problem was that they were done shabbily.

I'm sure, by now, that you've heard the rants and raves of why PCUNIX doesn't
work properly.  I can vouch for the same (and for PCVMS too).  I wrote and
posted a rather lengthy review of the PCVMS system about 6 months back.  If
you'd like a copy, please email me.  If I get lots of response, maybe I'll
post it again.

However, in conclusion, if you're happy with it - great.  It really isn't
in the same ballpark, though.  Read the MINIX book, is my suggestion.

kibbles and bits,

bruce bergman
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