From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=0.1 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_05,INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,984f6fa143dc96f2 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public From: jhopper@erinet.com (jim hopper) Subject: Re: MicroSoft to purchase Aonix? Date: 1997/05/30 Message-ID: <5ml6kk$68g@server2.erinet.com>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 245656320 Sender: -Not-Authenticated-[4123] References: <5mkgrl$akp@ion1.ionet.net> Organization: EriNet Online 513 436-1700 (Voice) XDisclaimer: User not authenticated Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Date: 1997-05-30T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: In article <5mkgrl$akp@ion1.ionet.net> mbates@ionet.net (Mike D Bates) writes: > My company builds aircraft simulators -- the kind used for pilot > training, with real cockpit controls and instruments, full motion, and > wraparound out-the-window visual scenes. We're looking at moving from > Unix platforms to running simulation on a cluster of Intel-based > syatems running NT. The reason? The hardware is more plentiful and > cheaper than what we currently use, and there's a better chance that > Intel and MicroSoft will still be around in 20 years (so the argument > goes). lets look at history shall we. Think back a few years (much less than 20) can you run current microsoft OS's and tools on 286 or 386 hardware?? In fact its pretty hard to run them successfully on a 486 in many cases isnt it ;-) SO while microsoft will be around, your hardware/software investment will be useless! i mean if you had done what they propose and written your stuff for windows 3.1 for instance, how much help would you be able to get from microsoft if you needed maintenance now?? They would simply tell you to rewrite it for windows 95 if you have bugs in 3.1 wouldnt they?? this attitude is the fly in the ointment of all this COTS crap people keep trying to sell. sure the stuff will be maintained by the companies, BUT their prioriities for maintaining backwards compatability bear NO relationship to ours ;-) Yes we build flight sims as well (well actually we build radar simulations to go in the flight sims) and we do our work in Ada. we interface with people who work in C and C++ but we do our parts in ada95. jim