UN*X bugs vs. VMS bugs

[Thomas M. Breuel]

I just can't resist posting this reply...

Well, it all depends on what you want to use an operating system for.
Sure, the person I am running a UN*X system for would probably be a
lot happier with VMS (I took over as a systems manager long after
the decision in favour of UN*X was made). Nevertheless, VMS is by no
means as much fun to use (and hack) as is UN*X.

The moral is that if your user community enjoys talking to the operating
system instead of talking to statistics packages, sending around silly
notes on uucp (like the very one you are reading), hacking compilers and
kernels, and fixing bugs, then UN*X is probably fine.

If, on the other hand, you want to get work done, have a problem with
system security, don't care about fixing bugs yourself, short, if either
your user community, or yourself, or both don't satisfy the fundamental
UN*X criterion that users must be 'benign and knowledgeable' then you're
better off with VMS. Then there is also the issue of efficiency, in
which UN*X looses rather poorly...

						Thomas.
						(breuel at harvard)