Re: [linux-audio-dev] Re: AES, Linux and BeOS

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Subject: Re: [linux-audio-dev] Re: AES, Linux and BeOS
From: David Olofson (audiality_AT_swipnet.se)
Date: su syys   26 1999 - 18:11:22 EDT


On Sun, 26 Sep 1999, Paul Barton-Davis wrote:
[...]
> I don't think that BeOS is more mature. I think it is more focused. It
> also has the benefit of being an identifiable corporation, which as
> you say, tends to focus the minds of those who write software to make
> a profit.
>
> I don't know of any particular benefits that BeOS would have over
> Linux 2.2.10-N6. Linux has better support for leading-edge audio
> applications that integrate networking and database engines. It has
> more users. Its been debugged more. I think it supports SMP better. It
> supports more hardware. You can read the source to learn how things
> are done and not done.

True, nothing beats Linux, especially not in the long run, from the developer's
POV.

> BeOS doesn't come with the same range of choices, which can often be a
> good thing. No trying to decide between OSS or ALSA. No trying to
> decide between GNOME or KDE. You use the MediaKit and/or the MidiKit,
> and thats that. Sometimes no choice is the best choice of all.

Yes. The only problem is that choice is complicated to the average user (ie
non-hacker). That means we need to do some serious work on getting plug'n'play
distros together if we want our software to be used by non-hackers. Serious
users with the cash to pay for pre-configured, dedicated systems will go
wherever the solutions are (is they are actually made available and *visible*,
that is), but that's not the case with the average user; not event the
"serious" hobby musician. And those are the ones that hardware and software
companies are making money from...

> BeOS asked me a while back to port Quasimodo. A month ago, I was
> planning to do this. Now I am not. Thats my take on the two of them.

About the same story here... I was wasting my time around NT, and I had my
eyes on DOS (protected mode) extenders and Linux for a standalone box for the
real time stuff. Also looked at QNX... and it's price tag. When I saw BeOS, I
went "Wow! Here's something that could do the job. And looks nice, too... :-)".

But then I found RTLinux, and actually started to use (RT)Linux, GNOME, KDE and
so on. This is where I'll hang around for a long time.

//David

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    ·Low Latency www.angelfire.com/or/audiality ·Audio Hacker
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    ·Open Source ·Singer/Composer


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