🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Sep28.163058.6642@RedBrick.COM> jfr@RedBrick.COM () writes:
> In article <2097@ltb.ltb.bso.nl> wierda@ltb.ltb.bso.nl (Gerben Wierda)  
writes:
> >
> >Ha, Ha Ha Haaaaaa, Ha HA HA, Haaaaaaa!
> >
> >Oh, btw, how is Sun making DisplayPostScript run on those X terminals?
> 
>   This is not a very difficult thing to do.  X11R5 has the ability to
>   support extensions to X, including such things as Font Servers and
>   Display Postscript managers.  The actual extension will run on an
>   X-client machine since most X-servers will not have the extension
>   directly available (although it is possible that X terminals will
>   start to support some of these extensions directly).  

That's not how I remember it.  The extension has to be supported 
on both sides of the 'wire'.  I run into a lot of "extension not supported on  
server" error messages when running DEC's DPS stuff on an Xterm.  Granted
that is some bastardized X11R[3,4] that DEC is using, not R5.

But, as you stated, NCD has stated support of Display PostScript so the point  
may be moot.

>   There is a potential impact on performance although I am not sure
>   pushing X primitives out to an X-server to support Postscript is that
>   much different from what a client application has to do now to get
>   complex graphics on an X-terminal and that sort of thing is done
>   all the time.
> 
>>[...]
>  
>   Getting Sun to make it work isn't brain surgery.  However, getting users
>   to adopt it is harder. 

The common rumor is since Sun sold a lot of systems via VARs that used SunView
as their development tool, a lot of Sun user's still don't even use OpenLook.

> NeXT already has 5 years or more invested in the
>   integration of Postscript with a very usable object-oriented application
>   development environment.  Sun and others are a long way from that.

I think the cogent thought here is that NeXT has fewer 'legacy' applications
to support.  Having Sun re-evangelize Display PostScript after it toned
down it's NeWS support is weak.

Also, Sun, et al, has to start selling systems to end users.  Ever notice how  
hard it is to change the font size on an xterm window?  Mere mortals can't do  
it.  A lot of NeXT's selling points to the common end user is the ability to
switch fonts on the fly on apps like Stuart and Terminal and Mail (a lot of  
blind people use computer nowadays).  Display Postscript will not sell the  
soap, until the development environment makes it too easy not to incorporate 
easy to use functionality.

-geoff
---------------------------------------------------------------
Geoffrey Brunkhorst, RCF                    brunkhorst@Mayo.edu
Guggenheim 10                                    (507) 284-1805
Mayo Foundation, Rochester MN, 55905 USA     fax (507) 284-5231