Why LispOS?

[cosc19z5@bayou.uh.edu]

> > Unix has improved somewhat.  Most Unix machines will happily run for a
> > week or two without rebooting; Linux machines will happily run for a
> > year or two without rebooting.
> > 

I don't know what Unix machines you are using, but at work I
use SunOS and SGI machines, and they require frequent rebooting,
more rebooting than DOS or Win95 ever required.  As a matter of
fact, I will go as far as to say that the most unreliable systems
I have had the misfortune of using were Unix systems.

Ever see a system forget its own terminal emulation in the
MIDDLE of a session?  Only in Unix (SunOS in particular, a
particularly nasty strain of the Unix virus).

Ever see a double right mouse click consistently take an O/S
down to its knees?  Only in Unix (SunOS, SGI Irix 6.2 (Indigo^2)).

Contrary to popular belief, Unix is NOT reliable.  It is flaky
and badly designed.  It may be ok for batch operations, but
when it comes to user interface, it is completly worthless.


> 
> 	Hehehehe, that's pretty funny...a year or two without rebooting.

Actually, that's very plausible... if the system was turned off.


> Where have you had that happen?  The only system that runs a year or two
> without *some* kind of reboot is a system that isn't used.  Don't want to
> start a war or anything as I use Linux daily.  Just don't like to see
> unsubstantiated claims like that (hell, I have to deal with AS/400 bigots
> all day long with their 99.9% uptime claims).
> 

Well I have a considerably lower view of Unix than you do, but
then I have a low view of just about every O/S I've used.

As far as I'm concerned, all O/S'es stink.  LispOS is the chance
to design a decent O/S for a change.


> > RPG was right -- we will have a decent operating system, but
> > unfortunately it will be Unix :)
> > 
> 
> 	...and if we do it right, users won't even know Unix lay
> underneath.

Unless they double click the right mouse button :).


> 
> 				Damond
> 

Regards,
Ahmed