Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!ucdavis!caldwr!ack
From: ack@caldwr.caldwr.gov (David Ackerman)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.aux
Subject: Re: Am I missing... (really an opinion of A/UX)
Message-ID: <347@caldwr.caldwr.gov>
Date: 15 Apr 88 05:02:31 GMT
References: <232@voysys.UUCP> <1711@desint.UUCP> <8075@apple.Apple.Com> <8398@oberon.USC.EDU>
Organization: California Department of Water Resources
Lines: 41
Keywords: Macintosh A/UX HFS
Summary: a qualified complement

In article <8398@oberon.USC.EDU>, bishop@skat.usc.edu (Brian Bishop) writes:
> In article <8075@apple.Apple.Com> phil@apple.UUCP (Phil Ronzone) writes:
> 
> >We will take compliments about the product based on hearsay though! :-)
> 
>  Those are the only ones you seem to have, so far :-)
 
I got to play with A/UX for a day at the sales office here in Sacramento not
too long ago. I was impressed with the fact that it took me only 30 minutes to
configure the modem, sendmail.cf, and UUCP setup files and send a succesful mail
message to my system here. To do the same on a Sun took me several hours, and
on an Apollo it took several *days* due to the way they handle serial ports.

On the other hand, it felt extremely sluggish, as well as having the numerous
problems that have already been mentioned by a number of other people, i.e the
Berlin Wall between the Mac OS and A/UX. I see A/UX 1.0 as kind of a "gamma"
release for the developers, so there will be some applications available when
the real release (1.1? 1.2?) comes out. I sincerely hope that someone's post
a while ago talking about Unix not fitting Appple's corporate style is untrue. I
can see Apple's motivation in pursuing the Dec market...after all, there are a
lot of Macs where there is Dec equipment. But they shouldn't relegate Unix to
VMS's backseat. Apple, if this is what's happening, WAKE UP AND SMELL THE
COFFEE. Unix is probably *more* important in the long run, and should at least
be treated with equal respect. 

One of the main things Apple needs to do is get a support system in place. This
includes training dealers and having more A/UX support staff. They should also
train their own sales people, who don't even know what market they should be
addressing with A/UX. Does Apple Corporate Sales even know the answer to that
question? I sometimes wonder.

I saw a lot of potential in the version of A/UX I used. But potential doesn't
develop by itself. A/UX should be to the Mac OS what the Roadrunnner is to DOS.
If Apple doesn't understand what I mean, they should go play with a Roadrunner.


David Ackerman
California Department of Water Resources     caldwr!ack@ucdavis.edu  (Internet)
"It's the water, and a lot more..."       ...!ucbvax!ucdavis!caldwr!ack  (UUCP)

         The opinions expressed above are mine, not those of the State
         of California or the California Department of Water Resources.