Aucbvax.5820
fa.info-vax
utcsrgv!utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!info-vax
Sat Jan 16 23:16:09 1982
I would rather use Multics.
>From GJC@MIT-MC Sat Jan 16 20:13:56 1982
GJC@MIT-MC 01/16/82 22:53:55 Re: I would rather use Multics.
To: INFO-VAX at MIT-MC
People run VMS instead of Unix when they want the features that VMS
provides which Unix does not, some of which being system programming
features which make it quite practical to imbed Unix in VMS, but
quite impossible given the limited resources of the research community
to do the opposite, as it would take a complete redesign of Unix,
and the complete giving up of its beloved 64k simplicity.
As for the state of NIL, the people who were bantering misinformation
about it on this mailing list should consider themselves remprimanded
for being silly and unprofessional, as correct information is easily
available. [For those serious researchers on this list, I apologize
for the tone of the above.]
The facts:
[0] NIL is being used, i.e., *now*, at MIT to support ungoing research.
[1] NIL will be supported at MIT.
[2] NIL will be available for general distribution JAN 30 1982.
Send mail to NIL-DISTRIBUTION-REQUEST@MIT-MC.
[3] NIL is comparable in programming features, debugging capability,
error checking, and speed, to Lispmachine lisp.
[4] There is no simple comparison possible with Franz lisp, fundamental
implementation details and design goals being completely different.
For example, the overhead of FUNCALL in Franz is eleven (11) times
greater than in NIL. Obviously this sort of thing has an affect
on the usability of a modern message passing programming style.
Not important for systems like Macsyma of course.
[5] Yes, Macsyma runs in NIL.
-gjc
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