Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!uwm.edu!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!snorkelwacker!spdcc!merk!xylogics!world!madd
From: madd@world.std.com (jim frost)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Xerox sues Apple!!!
Keywords: Get real...
Message-ID: <1989Dec27.024753.1307@world.std.com>
Date: 27 Dec 89 02:47:53 GMT
References: <1989Dec21.010731.5240@hellgate.utah.edu> <6767@tank.uchicago.edu> <1989Dec17.112127.27333@me.toronto.edu> <14960@boulder.Colorado.EDU> <4574@ur-cc.UUCP> <37366@apple.Apple.COM> <625@bogart.UUCP> <1193@awdprime.UUCP>
Organization: Software Tool & Die
Lines: 33

ron@woan.austin.ibm.com (Ronald S. Woan) writes:
>In article <1989Dec21.010731.5240@hellgate.utah.edu>,
>t-jacobs@cs.utah.edu (Tony Jacobs) writes:
>> Oh, can the PC expand to two monitors and have contiguous workspace that
>> is user configurable??

>Run AIX/PS2 or the Interactive Unix with X-Windows and stuff 4
>monitors and run them all under X. Try that with a stock Mac or price
>that with a Mac II.

Neither system can do so contiguously.  The ISC X11 requires a
different server for each display and you must toggle between virtual
consoles to switch the mouse control.  This is simple and effective,
but not contiguous.  I believe the AIX system works similarly,
although I cannot confirm this.  At any rate, it is impossible to
handle X11 displays of differing visuals contiguously (doesn't look
like anyone even gave a thought to trying) and I have yet to see an
X11 server by any vendor on any machine handle identical visuals
contiguously with the exception of properly allowing mouse movement
between them.

Most newer Macs are substantially superior to PCs with regards to
display options, especially large high-resolution displays.  There are
almost no color PC displays of better than 1k by 1k resolution (there
are a couple but they're VERY expensive and they have no standard) and
no popular X servers which support those which exist.

Given that PCs have historically been very text-oriented and Macs very
graphics-oriented, I'm not surprised that the Mac wins over the PC in
this respect.

jim frost
jimf@saber.com