Hi Bo!
Just so you're not offended by anything I have said, please understand that
I never was offended by your remark, either. But what you've offered here
is what I was after. Thanks for this answer and REBOL's current position re
DOS.
As for "low cost" 32-bit CPU's and O/S's... this might begin to sound like
the ongoing "relativity thread" :) But many embedded devices are talking
about $2 CPU's (in volume). A $20/hit licensing arrangement on an O/S can
kill such products. This may not be true for some products with higher
pricetags and markups, of course. Also, not all such products are of the
"mass consumer" type where the developer has the clout to twist arms of O/S
and language suppliers. Of course, such embedded devices are developed
routinely all the time... how? Well, often with NO O/S whatsoever, and a
corresponding LARGE investment in one-time engineering time to implement
them. Possessing both inherent lazy and cheap streaks ;) I'm always looking
for tools that can permit both rapid (even FUN) development (REBOL) and
final product efficency and low cost. The latter is what current ports of
rebol don't achieve for my market.
Too bad it would take so much to bring REBOL to DOS, but now I better
understand why that's so. We'll see what the future brings. I like how
Elan is thinking on this topic, too!
Take care.. and thanks for all your help in learning more about REBOL!
There are many other applications I intend to use it for... and hopefully
even more as it grows further.
Russ :)
-----
At 04:14 PM 10/27/99 -0700, you wrote:
>
>Russ,
>
>I implicitly stated I didn't mean to offend anyone.... Take it more as a
>good-natured jab at 16-bit (and lower) OSes. REBOL was designed to be
>easily portable to 32-bit and higher OSes, therefore implementing it on a
>16-bit or lower OS would require a complete rewrite of a large portion
>of REBOL.
>
>We've looked at the feasibility of porting to DOS. Perhaps REBOL3.0 may
>delve into this issue, but as I said above, it would have to wait until
>a complete rewrite of the system.
>
>If you want to pursue the issue, you could send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>asking whether or not we would consider supporting a 16-bit OS in the next
>rewrite of REBOL.
>
>Also, I'm sure if a developer came up to REBOL with a contract with the
>requirement that REBOL run on DOS, I'm sure that would help push development
>in that direction. However, many good 32-bit CPUs can be picked up for
>next-to-nothing along with a lightweight 32-bit OS to go with it. See
>Symbian, 3Com and many other embedded vendors.
>
>I'm told I'm a very good-natured person, so maybe my remarks were read
>with inflections different from what I intended.
>
>
--
> Bohdan "Bo" Lechnowsky
> REBOL Adventure Guide
>
