Newsgroups: comp.lang.smalltalk,comp.lang.c++,comp.lang.java,comp.object
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!rochester!cornellcs!newsstand.cit.cornell.edu!news.graphics.cornell.edu!hookup!news.mathworks.com!uunet!inXS.uu.net!world!news
From: moresys@world.std.com (More Systems Employee)
Subject: Re: Java vs. Smalltalk vs. C++ vs. OO COBOL
Content-Type: Text/Plain; charset=US-ASCII
Message-ID: <DtMKFK.4EJ@world.std.com>
Sender: news@world.std.com (Mr Usenet Himself)
Nntp-Posting-Host: world.std.com
Organization: MORE Systems, inc.
X-Newsreader: WinVN 0.99.7
References: <31CC4ABE.6DDE@individual.com> <4qrahn$49ns@news-s01.ny.us.ibm.net> <4qrjrl$e7s@piglet.cc.uic.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Date: Wed, 26 Jun 1996 20:47:43 GMT
Lines: 37
Xref: glinda.oz.cs.cmu.edu comp.lang.smalltalk:39925 comp.lang.c++:197033 comp.lang.java:64064 comp.object:50982

In article <4qrjrl$e7s@piglet.cc.uic.edu>, jkratz@rummy.aiss.uic.edu says...
>
>dave000@ibm.net wrote:
>>Quite honestly, I'm waiting for VisualAge Java to appear and then all the C++
>>and Smalltalk stuff is gone from our company. A java application can run on any
>>platform where a java viewer is present. No more "cross platform" coding
>>concerns, etc. True "data independence" for the developer and user. No more
>>deciding to work with Mr. Bill, Scott or Lou's environment, just code and go.
>
>>Dave
>
>Dave -
>
>Quite honestly I think youre nuts :)  Smalltalk is a far superior
>language to Java.  Unfortunately the only problem is the
>platform-dependence.  If it were "platform-independent" like Java it
>would blow java out of the water.
>
>Jason

Quite honestly, I think Smalltalk would also need to be FREE to
really compete with Java. ParcPlace VisualWorks is the best 
programming environment I have ever seen, but I don't own a
copy, and never expect to. Why? It's not because it lacks any 
features I need. It's not because it doesn't run on my hardware. 
It's not because I wouldn't love to have it. It's because 
I CAN'T AFFORD IT. Hell, my COMPANY can't afford it. And as
for writing applets, not even Bill Gates couldn't afford to
buy a VisualWorks runtime license for every web browser
on the internet.

Java isn't as nifty, but it is free, so it's price/performance 
ratio is infinitely superior. That is why Java will succeed where
Smalltalk has failed, not platform independance.

-Eugene

