speaker.umcp-cs@UDel-Relay (02/20/83)
From: Speaker-To-Animals <speaker.umcp-cs@UDel-Relay> From: Gail Zacharias <GZ@MIT-MC> Subject: VMESS...the Operating System for the 60s. ... You'll never fit VMESS into a micro and I can't imagine why you would want to. Indeed. On the other hand, why would you buy a powerful computer like the VAX and then limit it to an operating system which can fit on a micro. Since VMS was tailor-made for the VAX, it undoubtedly takes better advantage of its capabilities. Well, the idea is that you will never be able to use VMESS anywhere other than in a VAX environment. When newer and more powerfull machines arrive (even micros)...VMESS will be a loser because VMESS will be unportable to them. Unless such machines support Bliss or MACRO-11 which may not be the case. It comes down to trade offs (as usual). You can have a "least common denominator" system like Unix, or you can get at the full power of your VAX with VMS but sacrifice portability to some extent. Benchmarks have shown Unix 4.1 to be as fast as VMESS, if speed is your measure of full power. There are measures of power other than raw crunching ability, like how fast can the user get his job done and with how little (or how much) hassle. - Speaker