lisp machines vs. lisp on other boxes

["Daniel L. Weinreb" <DLW@alderaan.scrc.symbolics.com>]

    Date: Sat, 23 May 87 08:43:09 CDT
    From: Rob Pettengill <rcp@MCC.COM>

    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.  

I agree with this.  But one must keep in mind what "(assuming he already
is familiar with the machine)" means.  It's easier to learn how to use
Lisp on Unix, if you already know Unix.  It's easier to learn how to use
Lisp on VMS, if you already know VMS.  It's easier to learn how to use
Lisp on MS-DOS if you already know MS-DOS.  I don't think it's much
easier to use Lisp on Unix if you already know VMS but have never used
Unix, all things considered.

So it's not really a question of "conventional architecture" so much as
a question of what you have already learned for other reasons.  That's
a perfectly good point, as long as we're clear about what we're saying.