From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.4 required=5.0 tests=AC_FROM_MANY_DOTS,BAYES_00 autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,bc1361a952ec75ca X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2001-08-22 07:15:03 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!newsfeed.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!newsfeeds.belnet.be!news.belnet.be!psinet-eu-nl!psiuk-p4!uknet!psiuk-n!news.pace.co.uk!nh.pace.co.uk!not-for-mail From: "Marin David Condic" Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Progress on AdaOS (Was: Re: How Ada could have prevented the Red Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2001 10:03:48 -0400 Organization: Posted on a server owned by Pace Micro Technology plc Message-ID: <9m0e48$5he$1@nh.pace.co.uk> References: <4a885870.0108112341.7ce02ac0@posting.google.com> <9l6pdo$rlo$1@newsg3.svr.pol.co.uk> <9IFe7.12813$6R6.1221214@news1.cableinet.net> <9lghqu$ac6$1@nh.pace.co.uk> <3B7C3293.76F49097@home.com> <9lhefg$lgd$1@nh.pace.co.uk> <3B7D47F1.25D6FC78@boeing.com> <5ee5b646.0108171856.18631c4c@posting.google.com> <3B7F624B.7294D24F@acm.org> <9lr6je$5hj$1@nh.pace.co.uk> <9ltoi7$4is$1@nh.pace.co.uk> <3B82789B.8D195045@home.com> <9ltuo8$70n$1@nh.pace.co.uk> <9lujcr$aai2@news.cis.okstate.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: dhcp-200-133.miami.pace.co.uk X-Trace: nh.pace.co.uk 998489032 5678 136.170.200.133 (22 Aug 2001 14:03:52 GMT) X-Complaints-To: newsmaster@news.cam.pace.co.uk NNTP-Posting-Date: 22 Aug 2001 14:03:52 GMT X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4522.1200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4522.1200 Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:12228 Date: 2001-08-22T14:03:52+00:00 List-Id: First off, lets clarify a couple of things. I am not involved with AdaOS and am not in any way shape or form looking to be involved with AdaOS. Hence I'm not targeting anything for any market. What I am observing is that AdaOS is Vaporware and one of the reasons is that (IMHO) nobody is getting paid or seeing some way of eventually getting paid for having been involved in developing it. My contention is that the closer the connection is between doing some work and seeing some money from it, the more likely you are to see the work getting done. This is just basic human psychology - ask any first-year psych student. Second off, you are not correct in stating that MacOS and Windows## are $0 in cost. When you buy a computer that has this already installed the cost of the OS is simply part of the cost of the computer. Do you believe it when a car dealer tells you "I'm throwing in the bucket seats and spoiler trim package free!" Of course he isn't. Whatever it costs him to have those bucket seats and trim packages installed is going to be figured into the profit margin he needs on the sale of the car in order to stay in business. Same goes for the computer manufacturer who installs Windows for you. Now as to how somebody (not me!) is going to make money on AdaOS? Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe like Act, Cygnus, Red Hat, et alia, they end up making something by selling support & training. Will that be the guys who are writing the OS? (If in fact anybody is writing anything) Again, your guess is as good as mine. Will they be able to sell a CD with AdaOS on it for $29.95? Maybe. Who knows? Its their problem. My observation remains the same: If nobody is seeing any financial rewards for working on it, the chances that it gets completed are going to diminish. When Bill Gates woke up one day and said "I think I'm gonna build me an OS!" and threw a few million at the development of WinNT, he eventually got himself an OS - more or less according to plan and on schedule. What do you suppose the odds are that if I post here "Will somebody go write me an OS in Ada - just because I want one - and no, I don't have any money to give you when you deliver it to me." that I'll get one while holding my breath? :-) MDC -- Marin David Condic Senior Software Engineer Pace Micro Technology Americas www.pacemicro.com Enabling the digital revolution e-Mail: marin.condic@pacemicro.com Web: http://www.mcondic.com/ "David Starner" wrote in message news:9lujcr$aai2@news.cis.okstate.edu... > > What niche are targetting with this OS? If you're targetting anywhere > around the desktop/server area: > > Linux: $0 (CD's in the $2-$10 range, boxes in the $20-$100 range) > *BSD: $0 (CD's in the $2-$30 range) > BeOS: $0 (boxes in the $100 area) > MacOS X: $0 (with computer) (boxes in the $100 range) > Windows##: $0 (with computer) (boxes in the $100-$200 range) > Windows NT: $100s > > Considering that 5 out of the 6 are in the $0 range for most people, > and 2 out of the 6 have no use or distribution restrictions*, > that Linux will be bigger, badder and still free when you get AdaOS done, > and Windows NT's big selling points are amount of software and full Windows > compatibility, I think moving into this niche with a non-$0 price-tag is > a sure sign of failure. > > * Excluding a few distributions, and talking in a practical sense for > an end user or company. >