rick@hanauma (Richard Ottolini) (08/19/89)
I doubt software at the source level will go out of date for a long time. I expect "extensions" as new hardware (faster CPUs, color, 3D) is introduced. Binaries will probably rapidly become incompatible as the OS evolves and the hardware changes. Most commerical PC software is shipped as binaries. NeXT doen't have a large commerical applciation base, so this is not a problem yet. Binary incompatibility is a major obstacle for PCs such as IBM or Apple to switch CPU tracks. Commerical application software must be upgraded then.
jay@lightnin.cs.unlv.edu (Jay Nietling) (09/15/90)
as far as i know the definitive place to pick up kcl is from rascal.ics.utexas.edu. check out the akcl (improved kcl) stuff. as for kcl or akcl running on the next machine, there is the problem of getting the dynamic object loading code to work with mach. i have no idea how difficult that is to do. if i remember my tests of a little over a year ago, x11r4 beta clx demos using franz on the next were faster than ones using akcl on the sparcstation. we would love to see kcl running on the nexts though, and the athena services, and x11r4, and well anyway... -jay