How do Unix and VMS compare?

[Guy Harris]

> Many VMS applications (reasonably) rely on VMS features,
> - virtual memory (try running SAS on UNIX:-))

You may not be able to shop around, but if you do you'll find that virtual
memory isn't a "VMS feature" - virtual memory UNIXes do exist, even though
AT&T hasn't released theirs yet.

> I think Unix *should* be better, and of the two it is the OS w/a future.
> For an interesting view see IEEE 'Computer' June 1984, "Standards Can Help
> Us", C. Gordon Bell page 76.

Yes, UNIX can and should be better.  (And a lot of the deficiencies you
mention have been fixed in some versions of UNIX.)  Like it or not, it's being
used for a wider range of applications that it was originally used for; some
may complain about adding functionality to it, but that's life.  I agree;
Bell's paper is worth reading.

	Guy Harris
	{seismo,ihnp4,allegra}!rlgvax!guy