From: nafpliot@ux2.cso.uiuc.edu (N.N.) Subject: Re: DOS emulation under PD unix.. Date: 29 Sep 1992 02:42:52 GMT
badger@phylo.life.uiuc.edu (Jonathan Badger) writes:
>Does anyone really want to remember some obscure macro to do something like
>create a footnote? Ancient PC software like PC-Write used to use imbedded
>commands like TeX does, but software in DOS-land has since evolved beyond
>the Precambrian. I'm still amazed that UNIX which has such fine development
>tools has such primitive applications... maybe because most UNIX users
>write code but don't run apps? This is not a cut at the Tex enthusists out
>there - you have my admiration (& sympathy) to write your 500 page dissertationswith what is basically an expanded nroff :).
>TeX does have a future - as an output format created by wysiwyg X editors...
This is the opinion of someone who has no idea what the hell they are talking
about. Not only is TeX not an expanded nroff, it is also not for people who
are still scared of a little effort. If you had ever used TeX, you would
know that it is not a word processor, or a backend for a WYSIWYG editor,
but rather a
typesetting package which allows much better control over your document than
some DOS package for the braindead. The output of all these word processors
are only sh*t in comparison. You can see the difference when papers
are presented at conferences, or books written as to the quality of the work.
Obviously you have never seen TeX output, or payed attention to the poor
quality work that the PC editors give you.
What it really seems like is that some poor DOS junkies are too scared to
try something without little menu bars etc. If you want DOS, do it on DOS.
If you want something better, use Linux. I don't see the point of making
a DOS emulator since Linux can be run alongside DOS quite comfortably as
it stands now.
Have fun,
Nick Nafpliotis
nick-n@uiuc.edu
Illinois Genetic Algorithms Laboratory
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign