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From: slocum@hi-csc.UUCP (Brett Slocum)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apollo
Subject: Re: DM vs. Emacs
Message-ID: <8706222144.AA03493@hi-csc.uucp>
Date: Mon, 22-Jun-87 17:44:29 EDT
Article-I.D.: hi-csc.8706222144.AA03493
Posted: Mon Jun 22 17:44:29 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 24-Jun-87 00:41:27 EDT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Distribution: world
Organization: The ARPA Internet
Lines: 36

I realize that I have been guilty of this, but I wish that
people would stop comparing the DM to Emacs.  I don't know
anyone who would think that the DM is more powerful than
Emacs as an editor.  Several people have stated very strong
arguments for Emacs.  I personally like it better than the
DM.  The strength the DM has over Emacs is that it is integrated
into the environment and Emacs is not; the DM can be used
anywhere on the Apollo screen -- Emacs cannot (yes, I know,
you can run a shell from inside Emacs.  But you still can't
touch the command window).

The same arguments can be made, though less strongly, for 'vi'
over the DM, but the DM still has the same strength of 
integration.  (BTW, SUNs do not have an integrated editor like
either the DM or Emacs. Just the history substitutions of 'csh',
and the 'again'-like mousing/scrolling/picking method).

The only system that I know of that has an Emacs-like editor
integrated into the system to the extent that the DM is, is 
Symbolics (as has been pointed out).  And as has been pointed
out, Zmacs is getting pretty slow.  

As I said to Ashwin Ram, if Emacs could be integrated to the
same degree as the DM is, and remain as fast as the DM, I'd
buy it immediately.  Since it is not, I will use Emacs for
editing large text files, and the DM for quick messages like
this one and for command line editing.

P.S. As far as 'cut and paste' between windows is concerned,
the same package of Apollo GNUEmacs extensions that uses
the GPR graphics also implements the 'cut' and 'paste' keys
on the Apollo keyboard in Emacs to use the same paste buffers
as when using those keys outside of Emacs.  Therefore, you
can cut and paste between separate Emacs windows, and
also between Emacs windows and DM windows.
      .