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From: jhgreve@epx.cis.umn.edu (John Greve)
Subject: Re: Object Technology: What will JAVA do that Smalltalk won't do?  How 'bout, "What will I do?"
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Date: Sat, 7 Oct 1995 20:57:33 GMT
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Xref: glinda.oz.cs.cmu.edu comp.lang.smalltalk:29173 comp.object:39105

In article <45122b$10sq@watnews2.watson.ibm.com>,
   David N. Smith <dnsmith@watson.ibm.com> wrote:
>In article <44s5rt$rs7@uvmark.vmark.com> Jeff Sutherland,
>jsutherland@vmark.com writes:
>>***What can JAVA do that a distributed Smalltalk can't do?***
>Let's ask that the other way around:
>   +++ What can a distributed Smalltalk do that JAVA cannot do? +++
>Do the answers look any different??
>Dave

Here is a pragmatic observation...
Background:
	The shop I work in now is mainly using C & Unix.
	They may move into C++ before 2001 - then again, maybe not.
	Anyway, I want to shift into oo-development.  Today.
	I've been studying smalltalk (Digitalk ST/V) for a half year or so.
	I've even learned a little about objects.
	But none of the positions posted to this group fit ("Do I have 1+
	years of work smalltalk work experience? Well, not exactly, but
	how 'bout half a year of independant research? ...hello?"

Observation:	Nobody has 1+ years of Java experience.
	Of course, this is not a _functional_ difference
	between Smalltalk & Java.

Implication:	Java has lower entry barriers.
	I have been seriously thinking about buying a real commercial
	smalltalk in order to continue up the Smalltalk learning curve
	Maybe enfin, or 32bit digitalk, or visual age - I don't know.
	Anyway, becoming an oo developer is something I want to do badly
	enough that I'm willing to spend a few $K to reach that goal.
	But I am baffled about how to get around the experience paradox.
	Java looks like it could short circuit that for me.

Pragmatic Spin:
	I don't know where I'll be (language wise) a year from now,
	though I'm certain it won't be in C++ land. :-)
	I am going to look at Java for a while & see what I can do with it.

		John Greve
		jhgreve@epx.cis.umn.edu
