lisp machines vs. lisp on other boxes

[Rob Pettengill <rcp@mcc.com>]

   From: spar!malcolm@decwrl.DEC.COM
   Date: 22 May 87 13:37:38 PDT (Fri)

	   From: Richard Billington <Buff@cis.upenn.edu>
	   Subject: lisp machines vs. lisp on other boxes
	   To: slug@r20.utexas.edu

	   [Lots of comments about Lisp Environments......]

	   Similarly, I'm also amused by people saying that, for example, a SUN
	   running Lucid is better matched to a beginner. 
   On the other hand it is not possible for a beginner on a conventional machine
   (nonlispm) to get dumped into the cold load stream.

========================================================================

The cold load stream looks downright friendly compared to "core
dumped" or "segmentation violation".

Beginners on a lisp machine often have to learn tree orthagonal new
systems:

	1. The Lisp Language
	2. The Emacs Editor
	3. The Lisp Machine Operating System (Files, Windows,
	   Development Environment, etc.)

Beginners on a conventional architecture machine only have to cope
with the first two (assuming he already is familiar with the machine).
Yes, the LispM environment provides much better support for program
development, but that is true only after you have learned it.  

;rob

p.s.  I use both a lisp machine and a unix box for lisp programming in
about equal amounts.  If I had to choose just on right now - it would be
the lispm, but I don't expect that to be true for much more than
another year or so.  

  Robert C. Pettengill, MCC Software Technology Program
  P. O. Box 200195, Austin, Texas  78720
  ARPA:  rcp@mcc.com            PHONE:  (512) 338-3533
  UUCP:  {ihnp4,seismo,harvard,gatech,pyramid}!ut-sally!im4u!milano!rcp