Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!lll-tis!ames!ll-xn!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!tikal!slovax!dale
From: dale@slovax.UUCP (Dale Thomas)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: What is Atari afraid of?  A Non-semi-proprietary OS?
Message-ID: <2844@slovax.UUCP>
Date: 26 Feb 88 17:42:18 GMT
References: <1136@uop.edu>
Organization: R & D Associates
Lines: 34

> setenv FLAME on
> 
> ATTN: Atari Corp.
> 
> What is the deal?  I can understand the reluctance to design and test a 
> MMU for the ST series.  But when one has been SUPPLIED to you by a
> company who has gambled on your machine for quite some time...  I
> have been talking to a programmer at Mark Williams Company, in fact,
> yesterday I was on the phone for two hours with him.  They have ported
> Coherent to the ST's in-house (not recently either).  They have a MMU
> they supplied you...  and you said it was being considered.  And still
> being considered.  And still beign considered.  Why not just install
> the thing on new machines.  Lack of a MMU us going to kill the ST for any
> _real_ Operating Systems!  Take a chance.  Call ol' Jack up and tell him
> to get his ass in gear.  But please do not cripple the ST's any longer.
> 
> unsetenv FLAME
> 
> PS.  I may be missing a few facts, but this is what I have heard !
> 
> Any responses?  Neil? Allan? JACK?

I have to disagree a little about the lack of an MMU and a _real_ operating
system. If you want a real operating system on the ST look into getting IDRIS.
It is a very nice Unix environment that does not require an MMU. It has a
good C compiler available, a Pascal compiler (actually a Pascal to C trans-
lator), and a source level debugger (cdb), along with a lot of the standard
Unix utilitys. I wish more people would look into it. It is by far a giant
leap above TOS.


environment 
-- 
{psivax,ism780}!logico!slovax!dale    :   {hplsla,uw-beaver}!tikal!slovax!dale
Dale Thomas R & D Associates,3625 Perkins Lane SW,Tacoma,Wa 98499,206-581-1322