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From: daw@houxs.UUCP (Dave Wolverton)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: A different View of the value of OS/2 - it's better than UNIX(TM)
Message-ID: <516@houxs.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 16-Sep-87 16:50:42 EDT
Article-I.D.: houxs.516
Posted: Wed Sep 16 16:50:42 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 19-Sep-87 11:57:31 EDT
References: <494@parcvax.Xerox.COM> <961@looking.UUCP> <498@parcvax.Xerox.COM> <965@looking.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T End User Organization, Holmdel, NJ
Lines: 39

In article <965@looking.UUCP>, brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton) writes:
	[ lots of good stuff deleted ]
> 
> The Unix command structure and administration structure does need to
> change.  As I noted before, the Unix hacks are the block to this.
> Right now Unix sells mainly to people already sold on Unix, or people
> who buy it as part of an OEM package.  It loses others because of the
> reputation Unix has.  If you change the commands etc. you lose the old
> folks and wait a long time to get the new folks.  Not profitable.
> 

Perhaps most people are unaware that the UNIX boxes which AT&T sells
(3B2/600, 3B4000, etc.) all come with a menu-oriented program called "sysadm"
which provides a naive-user level interface for 90% of the administration
tasks.  For instance, I can format a floppy, make a file system on it, and
mount the file system, all inside sysadm.  It also provides a mechanism
for automated installation of applications.  In our workgroup, we have
computer-naive clerks perform much of the administration of our minis using
this interface.

Also, someone in this discussion mentioned that the popularity of the
Macintosh indicated that people don't want command-line interfaces.  I tend
to disagree with this conclusion.  The Mac folks indicate that what they
really want is the ability to open a UNIX window *when they need it*, but
otherwise use the Mac OS more-or-less as it is.  Also, note that the Amiga, 
which also uses a windowing interface, has always had a command line interface 
(CLI) window for those who want it.

> Unix is a trade mark of Bell Labs.

Actually, the correct incantation is "UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T."
At least you got the period in the right place :-) :-) :-)

> -- 
> Brad Templeton, Looking Glass Software Ltd. - Waterloo, Ontario 519/884-7473

Dave Wolverton
AT&T Somethingorother Labs
ihnp4!houxs!daw		(Warning: I don't usually read this newsgroup)