jim@EXPO.LCS.MIT.EDU (Jim Fulton) (04/25/88)
> I can't really figure out how people like [vendor] can charge so much for > something like X-windows. If it cost them that much to port X > such that they have to charge $2100 bucks then there is something wrong > with them or with X. Not at all. There is a *very* big difference between a rough cut port of the MIT sample server full-fledged product. To be competitive, a workstation vendor probably will end up providing most, if not all, of the following: o optimized servers for all hardware o support for peripherals o fully-functional servers (i.e. implementing all of the things that are optional and which aren't supported in the sample server) o toolkits to make programming easier o components sets (widgets) to make toolkit usage easier and provide a common look and feel (some will even be providing user interface management systems) o bindings for other languages (all the world isn't C, or even Common Lisp) o nice window managers o utilities (e.g. terminal emulators, desktop accessories, etc.) o real applications that use X o loads and loads of documentation o training o maintenance and support Up until now, X has mostly just been used by programmers. It had a rather nice adolescence, but it's growing up now. Jim Fulton X Consortium MIT Laboratory for Computer Science