In article <33872069.41C6 at henri.chem.uleth.ca>, Marc Roussel
<roussel at henri.chem.uleth.ca> writes
>Bob Phair wrote:
>> My point is that everyone will be forced to move to faster machines
>> and as soon as they do, they will surely move to 32-bit operating
>> systems. Don't look back! 64-bit systems will probably not be far
>> behind.
>>I don't know how to break this to you, but 64-bit hardware and operating
>systems is old news to people using Digital Alpha hardware with Digital
>Unix. Most of the hardware running Unix these days (if we exclude
>Linux) is 64-bit hardware. Digital is far out in front of everyone else
>(except maybe HP; I wouldn't know not having touched one of their
>machines in years) as far as the OS is concerned, but the other Unix
>vendors are moving in that direction rapidly.
>> Marc R. Roussel
What you say is true and exciting but not everyone has access to a 64-
bit computer (unfortunately), but I think most people have access to a
PC and most probably a Pentium. Even if they don't, and however we
dislike them, PCs are relatively cheap and anyone, at least in the first
world, can easily afford to buy one. What I'm looking for is the
platform which has the widest possible circulation but maximum computer
power, and I think these days it's probably Win95. High schools and
colleges in the UK still have a high proportion of Windows 3.1 machines
so software for them has to be 16-bit but for this group I think Win95
is likely to be the majority of readers? I don't know for sure which is
why I'm asking. I've had one reply from someone who still uses 3.1 so
there are a small number at least.
I think writing software for Unix machines must be difficult but I don't
know for certain. One couldn't just release the executables since there
are so many different binary incompatible machines out there. If one
were rich enough I suppose you could try and buy as many Unix boxes as
possible but the alternative and I guess the choice most make is to
release the source code? Even then it must be a nightmare trying to make
the source cross-platform compatible and you still need access to the
different boxes to make sure the source compiles and works?
Herbert
--
Herbert M Sauro
email: HSauro at fssc.demon.co.uk
Telephone: 01974 282428
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"He who cannot draw on 3000 years is living from hand to mouth" Goethe
"Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?"
R Browning.
