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From: Will@cup.portal.com (Will E Estes)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Why X Windows?
Message-ID: <17319@cup.portal.com>
Date: 17 Apr 89 07:07:00 GMT
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Lines: 20

I have no familiarity with X Windows, and I would like someone to explain
to me the advantages of the X Windows architecture.  As I understand it
X Windows separates the code needed to display a window from the code
that makes use of the window.  I assume that messages are sent to a
window manager.  My questions are as follows:
1) on a single machine what are the advantages to multiple applications
sending messages to a window manager?
2) over a network, why would a process on a remote CPU want to control
a screen on my CPU?  I have always heard that one of the advantages of
the X Windows model is that it allows for distributed processing.
However all the useful applications that I can think of (database, etc.)
that involve distributed processing usually involve some sort of
client-server relationship where the user interface functions are all
handled on the user's machine and the database access is done on the
server.  Why is the X Windows method preferable to a more traditional
client-server model, and what are some applications that would benefit
from the new architecture.
Forgive my naiveness in asking the above, but I am new to X Windows.
Thanks,
Will