*BSD News Article 66781


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From: rkswamy@unity.ncsu.edu (Ravi K. Swamy)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development.system,comp.unix.bsd.386bsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc,comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc,comp.os.linux.advocacy
Subject: Re: Historic Opportunity facing Free Unix (was Re: The Lai/Baker paper, benchmarks, and the world of free UNIX)
Date: 23 Apr 1996 14:27:42 GMT
Organization: Gunsmith Cats
Lines: 160
Message-ID: <4lipcu$2no@taco.cc.ncsu.edu>
References: <4ki055$60l@Radon.Stanford.EDU> <4lgvk6$enc@taco.cc.ncsu.edu> <4lhl4a$kpu@taco.cc.ncsu.edu> <4lhp98$k5h@taco.cc.ncsu.edu>
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In article <4lhp98$k5h@taco.cc.ncsu.edu>,
Kevin P. Neal <kpneal@eos.ncsu.edu> wrote:
>Ravi K. Swamy (rkswamy@unity.ncsu.edu) wrote:
>: [because I'm feeling silly tonight...]
>: 
>: In article <4lgvk6$enc@taco.cc.ncsu.edu>,
>: Kevin P. Neal <kpneal@eos.ncsu.edu> wrote:
>: >Charles A. Tilbury (ctilbury@hic.net) wrote:
>: 
>: >Most of the world believes that PCs are the end-all be-all computer.
>: >I once had a person ask me (concerning my Amiga) "Does it run PC
>: >programs?" No "Well, does it run Mac programs?" Nope "Well, what
>: 
>: I thought Mattingly was bragging to me about running Mac 68k
>: programs on his Amiga?
>: 
>
>I hadn't heard of the Emplant, or whatever that other one was, at
>this point in my life (like, 10th grade or so). Anyway, I didn't
>*Own* one, and I didn't own a bridgeboard, so my machine couldn't run
>PC or Mac programs at that point, in any event.
>
>BTW, Mattingly sold his NetBSD/Amiga box and replaced it with a new,

He sold it?  I thought my bid of $52 + 3 inflatable beer filled
dolls was still highest?

>fast, Linux (Caldera) box. He uses fvwm because he says that the
>Caldera desktop thingie sucks, and uses too much RAM.

Urm, it's just a "desktop thingie" you still need to run a wm.
Personally I don't care for it either, but I know some people who
like it.  Actually, we should all be like Dukes and not run wm's. :)

>: >does it run?" Amiga programs. "Oh, really?" Sigh.
>: >
>: >Most of the journalists I have been exposed to tend to write about how
>: >people should buy a PC, I mean it works for them, right?
>: 
>: Their idea of "works" is quite silly...
>
>They get things done.

Personally I think that "these people" would get their "work" done
better if they had a Mac.  Except for the vast number of apps
(which is extremely important...) I don't see win3.1 being the
right choice for anybody...  At least the Mac gets the ease of use
thing fairly well if not much else.  Windows fails at just about
everything except the amazing ability to get people to accept
substandard crap as "good."

>: >My Dad bought my brother a Win95 box for Christmas. Now Dad is learning about
>: >all of the crap that Windows brings along with it. He asks me:
>: >"So why do people put up with all of this?" Because, Dad, this is
>: >*normal* to most people. 
>: 
>: Sorry, with all respect to your dad and all, you said he supports
>: the CDA so I can't say I feel sorry for him.  I take it your
>: brother is nothing like you?  He should have bought a Mac.
>: 
>
>1) True, he is dumb enough to support the CDA. Gotta protect the children,
>right?

I hope you remember the flaming Billy and I did of dipshit parents
groups that tried to ruin our childhood.  Don't even get me started
on how much I hate these people.

>2) Mac's don't have as many games and stuff available. They are pushed
>like PC's at the mall (I mean, you can't walk thru the mall without seeing 
>a PC do something neat).

If he wants to play games then he should get a Playstation... :)
Last time I looked quite a few of those custom T-shirt things
in the malls used Macs.  But then I never thought this was neat
anyway so... 

>3) Eric (my brother) has this problem of having too many girls after him.

This is a problem?  We should all have such problems...

>I tell him to quit complaining cause I don't wanna hear it. Eric is
>not like me.

You sound as different as me and my sister.

>: >Journalists included. You never ever hear about how, for example,
>: >Plug and Play has problems.
>: 
>: Actually I do sometimes, especially from Mac users who have had
>: it for a decade or so.
>: 
>
>How about Journalists who have Macs and write about them?

I don't read any of the Mac only mags, but I do see it every know
and then.

> BTW, isn't
>ISA the only bus left in use that you can't configure in a device
>independent way (as in, you don't have to know the mystical order to
>do probes in).

You're asking the wrong person.  ISA stinks, but then "Windows
works for a lot of people" and so does ISA.

>My Amiga never had problems either, and it's had a Zorro bus forever.

I doubt any intelligent person will argue that a PC was better
than an Amiga from the same time period.  Heck even a current PC
compared to an old Amiga...

>: > Because
>: >the vast majority of users, journalists included, consider this to be
>: >normal. What Free Unix needs is reporters in high places who support
>: >our view. 
>: >
>: >I tend to discount any media coverage of computers in general, they tend
>: >to screw up.
>: 
>: Who is paying their bills as in advertising?  Think about it.
>: 
>
>Point.

Are you asking what is my point or that I got a point?  Do I win
a FREE MUFFIN?

>: >Another example of a local journalist saying something dumb:
>: >This university (NCSU) has around 27,000 students. We have an extensive
>: >Public Safety force, to the point where I (a male) feel perfectly fine
>: >walking around on campus at 4 in the morning. 
>: 
>: 4 am?  Isn't that when you usually go to Riddick? :)
>
>No, that's when I'm *leaving* Riddick. C'mon, get it right or you
>will hear about it over lunch tomorrow!

Oh sorry, 4 am is when Bissette comes in right? :)

>: >That's what I mean by news "bias". Sorry for being long winded. 
>: >Oh, and this message was brought to you by my Windows 95 laptop,
>: >an IBM thinkpad that doesn't run IBM's OS/2 because it doesn't work
>: >very well on this IBM equipment. Also, I'm posting from a
>: >Dec Alpha running NetBSD. Attribute typos to 95% OK Win95 vt100 emulation.
>: 
>: Does crazytrain actually get used for anything besides running tin? :)
>
>Well yeah, it also runs a web server. A web server that has cgi-bin in
>every home directory (can you say grading on the purity test? I knew you
>could.).

The cgi-bin path includes *every* home dir?  And Mattingly doesn't
care about the security or are only "trusted users" like James Manning
given accounts?	 *cough*

Ravi
--
Ravi K. Swamy                http://www4.ncsu.edu/~rkswamy/www/
rkswamy@eos.ncsu.edu         root@genom.com