Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!snorkelwacker!bloom-beacon!EXPO.LCS.MIT.EDU!rws
From: rws@EXPO.LCS.MIT.EDU (Bob Scheifler)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re: HP's Object Only
Message-ID: <9001062038.AA11136@expo.lcs.mit.edu>
Date: 6 Jan 90 20:38:11 GMT
References: <9001061955.AA23076@plains.NoDak.edu>
Sender: daemon@athena.mit.edu (Mr Background)
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 14


    is this a trend for the future or is it too early to tell.

I have no idea.  A few vendors have talked to us about providing the
equivalent of their product server to us for inclusion in our distribution,
in the form of object modules to link into the sample server.  (You would
have to ask HP and IBM to find out how the R4 objects compare with their
own product servers, I don't know.)  The object form protects them in
various ways, but still provides "enthusiasts" the ability to track MIT
changes to other parts of the server.  It also cuts down the vendor's
workload considerably; they don't have to maintain two completely independent
versions (we at MIT try hard to avoid supporting vendor-specific code), yet
they still provide free use through MIT.  I don't think that's such a bad
deal, for all concerned.