[NCLUG] OS X isn't Unix

J. Paul Reed preed at sigkill.com
Tue Sep 17 01:36:28 MDT 2002


On Mon, 16 Sep 2002, Terry M. Gray wrote:

> For a laugh? Sounds like you're pretty serious there, Paul.

I never take myself too seriously. You shouldn't either.

> BTW, all of the "missing pieces" are easily installed (especially for
> anyone who can handle a linux-distro). Being a UNIX person and a Mac
> person, I'm not so sure that the average Mac user needs or wants the
> stuff (even root access)--so why not leave it out and let the UNIX person
> install it with the little bit of extra work that it takes.

I respond to this general rebuttle in my 4th paragraph of this mail:
http://lists.svlug.org/archives/svlug/2002-September/041784.html

> Linux would have gotten our business had OS X not come along, but the
> combination of the Mac desktop (and commonly used software availability)
> and Unix is compelling to us.

Right... you wanted a desktop OS that has a Unix-base, not a Unix-focused
operating system that has a desktop environment. There's a subtle, but
important difference.

> I guess it's hard to take a major defection like O'Reilly

I don't think O'Reilly is really defecting... the core of his publishing
business is Unix utilities (vi/sendmail/postfix/awd/sed/perl/php/etc.
manuals), and since OS X runs all those and (Unix) people need books to
figure out OS X's bastardized "Unix" and Mac people need "Unix" books, it
can only help him.

I just think his analysis of Apple's position and situation is wrong.

Later,
Paul
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------
  J. Paul Reed                 preed at sigkill.com || web.sigkill.com/preed
  Wait, stop!  We can outsmart those dolphins.  Don't forget: we invented
  computers, leg warmers, bendy straws, peel-and-eat shrimp, the glory
  hole, *and* the pudding cup!  -- Homer Simpson, Tree House of Horror XI





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