Steven/Michael,
An interesting alternative to this is QNX -- except that
it's not free. In fact, I still don't have a pricing structure
for it, although I've asked them to mail me some stuff.
QNX has a bootable floppy with kernel, dialer, TCP/IP,
GUI, browser, and utilities. You can boot it and surf
the net.
It is, in fact a very viable OS with several years of
development and market success.
It's embedable (is that a word?) and capable of true
real-time operation.
(Real-time is not a big deal to the average consumer,
but a really big deal in some servers and in control
applications. For example, to fly a model airplane
or drive a car, real-time is a must.)
<opinion>
I'd really like to see Linux achieve that kind of
maturity. Maybe Caldera will bring that about, and
maybe the open-source community will have access
to it. Maybe.
I am reminded of OS/9, a very small, tight, fast
implementation of UNIX for the 6809 and 68000
family of processors. To allow it to function in small
address spaces, it was largely re-coded in assembly.
It might take that sort of refinement to get Linux
into smaller gadgets and gizmos, and to supply the
kind of clean performance needed to preserve the
usefulness of more modest hardware, but the
promise is there.
</opinion>
~ Garry
p.s.
*( Anyone remember "Softdisk Publishers?"
Complete graphical magazine with useful
programs and games, all presented using
their own GUI, all on a single floppy? )*
---------------------------------------------------------
>
> I, too, yearn for a fast and simple OS. ...
> ... Unfortunately, in the current climate,
> "popular" is synonymous with "bloated GUI".
>
> But the secret of Linux is: underneath the 500megs of bloat
> is a compact, powerful OS. ...
>
>
To unsubscribe from SURVPC send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with
unsubscribe SURVPC in the body of the message.
Also, trim this footer from any quoted replies.
