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Aucbvax.1686 fa.apollo utzoo!duke!decvax!ucbvax!LLOYD@MIT-AI Fri Jun 12 21:46:52 1981 Maximum information transfer

Right now the list appears to be lacking in cohesion. Perhaps we can get someone who knows just what Xerox is planning to let us have a synopsis. Personally I can't hack the current level of discussion where 10% is information and 90% is noise. Please do not take offense, but I am interested in the marketplace as a whole and not in whether the PERQs display is crisper than STARs. Since the differences in hardware appear to be minimal (debatable but please accept for the moment), let us concentrate on software.

I perceive the need for discussion of three main software areas: we need to discuss networking, system and development software, and applications software. Under the heading of networking we need to discuss:

* local networks * large networks * gateways * new networking developments and protocols

In the area of system software let us look at:

* languages * OS features * development aids (graphics tools, forms, DBMS, etc.)

In the area of applications perhaps we could cover:

* Word processing * Electronic mail (for want of a better term) * Interactive graphics * Modeling

Everything in the latter catagory should be from the users viewpoint. Remember that probably 8 out of 10 people who use these systems will have no background in DP or computer science.

I obviously have an interest in what happens to an individual product but I prefer to keep product names out of the list except when used as examples of particular point. On the other hand, I would like to hear from people who are 'privy' to the design decisions made when developing the different products.

Brian

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