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From: mwm@eris.BERKELEY.EDU (Mike (My watch has windows) Meyer)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.misc
Subject: Re: Which Computer?
Message-ID: <4978@jade.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Thu, 3-Sep-87 22:03:22 EDT
Article-I.D.: jade.4978
Posted: Thu Sep  3 22:03:22 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 5-Sep-87 17:07:26 EDT
References: <9098@brl-adm.ARPA> <4230001@wdl1.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@jade.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: mwm@eris.BERKELEY.EDU (Mike (My watch has windows) Meyer)
Organization: Missionaria Phonibalonica
Lines: 35

In article <4230001@wdl1.UUCP> lmurray@wdl1.UUCP (Lance Murray) writes:
<Buy him a Mac. He will be able to develop most programs on this system, while
<still able to use the machine for developing first rate reports.

Unless the student in question is going to be an engineer of a flavor
that uses lots of FORTRAN, in which case an IBM-PC clone with a
compiler that support an 80*87 would be more appropriate.

No matter how much the fanatics may want to think so, there is no one
computer that is appropriate for all uses, or even all uses for which
a pc is suitable.

You can buy a pc running a Unix clone in a windowing environment for
less than $1000. There are cases where this would be far more
appropriate than a Mac or an IBM-PC.

You can buy a pc running a multi-tasking OS that support lightweight
tasks and message passing, among other features that Unix doesn't
readily support. There are cases where this might be more appropriate.

I'll agree that for most students, the Mac would probably be a good
choice. For mathematics - or any field where almost all the work will
consist of highly technical work - an IBM PC and TeX would probably be
nearly as useful, and cost much less than a Mac and TeX.

Unless you know a lot more than is usually available from such
requests on the net, a blanket "Buy an XX brand computer" is usually
bad advice.

	<mike
--
When logic and proportion have fallen soggy dead,	Mike Meyer
And the white knight is talking backwards,		mwm@berkeley.edu
And the red queen's on her head,			ucbvax!mwm
Remember what the dormouse said.			mwm@ucbjade.BITNET