How do Unix and VMS compare?

[Sean Casey]

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        A discussion arose the other day about the relative advantages
         of running Unix vs. VMS on a Vax 11/750. I'm interested in
         knowing the consensus among net users (ignoring obvious selection
         effects.)
         Arguments in favor of VMS were...
  
                 o FORTRAN runs faster under VMS
                 (I don't know how FORTRAN under VMS compare to C under
                 Unix??)
  
                 o VMS runs faster than Unix in a multiuser environment.
  
                 o One can always run a Unix emulator under VMS for
                 those users who prefer Unix.
                 (Why is there no VMS emulator under Unix?)
  
         In favor of Unix...
  
                 o A nearby SUN workstation running Unix would be
                 easier to interface if the Vax ran Unix too.
                 ( What is the status of VMS to Unix communications?)
  
                 o Most software would be developed by students who
                 would rather use C than FORTRAN. ( C scores high as
                 a structured language.)
  
                 o Unix is such fun!
  
         I would appreciate hard numbers on how VMS and Unix compare
         along with suggestions on the criterion for choosing one
         system over another. Please reply via mail and I will post the
         results to the net.
 

	Sean Casey		|| University of Chicago
 	...!ihnp4!oddjob!sean	|| Dept of Astronomy and Astrophysics