apratt@iuvax.UUCP (11/01/84)
I feel compelled to point out a glaring omission in the foregoing speculation of the future of the computer world. I worked for Xerox last summer, and I may work for them next summer, and I would like to help dispell the notion that Xerox is ineffectual in the computer marketplace. Naturally, Xerox loses big in the MICROcomputer market, but in office- automation and network services, they can't be beat. It's a pity that Star, the desktop software/word processor/user-top-level of their Dandelion (and previous) series computers, is so slow, but, speed aside, Star is exceptional as an office system. (Of course, that's like saying, "Bullet wound aside, Mr. Lincoln wasn't hurt very badly.) At the risk of violating all manner of nondisclosure stuff, look for a new environment sometime soon, which really shows the power of the custom, microcoded, bit-slicing processor in Xerox's machines. Moreover, Xerox has a network RIGHT NOW, which is well-established and reliable. The Department of Defense, where Money is No Object, recently installed a flock of Dandelions in the Pentagon (I think) for non-classified secretarial desk-top work & memo transactions. The problem Xerox has right now is that their product requires a large start-up expenditure, fairly high per-station cost, a slow environment (ah, the familiar hourglass... Apple has their watch icon, Xerox has the hourglass), and so on. In the next short time (measured in years), each of these "bigs" will become smaller. In any case, Xerox has set the standard in workstation software (desktop w/icons, folders, opening/closing, overlapping windows, etc.) which others are copying. In about five years, the market will catch up to the place where Xerox is now. Unfortunately, by then Xerox will have moved on, and somebody else will get the profit. But not the credit. ---- -- Allan Pratt ...ihnp4!inuxc!iuvax!apratt
henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer) (11/01/84)
Not to be nasty or anything, but we've been hearing noises about how
Xerox was going to astound the world Real Soon Now for a long time.
--
Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henryherbie@watdcsu.UUCP (Herb Chong, Computing Services) (11/01/84)
I have a reasonably informed note that IBM's LAN for PC's includes a
video capability. We have the same network installed here, but used
to link dumb terminals and have no intention at this time to add video
facilities.
Herb Chong, BASc
Computer Consultant
Department of Computing Services
University of Waterloo
I'm user-friendly -- I don't byte, I nybble....
UUCP: {decvax|utzoo|ihnp4|allegra|clyde}!watmath!watdcsu!herbie
CSNET: herbie%watdcsu@waterloo.csnet
ARPA: herbie%watdcsu%waterloo.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa
BITNET: herbie at watdcs,herbie at watdcsubcase@uiucdcs.UUCP (11/01/84)
[] Any comments on the Dragon from Xerox?