> : The 9000's tend to run with
> : less operator intervention for longer periods of time.
>
> I disagree with this completely.  One of the things MPE customers like
> most about the HP3000 is how little operator intervention is required.
> (Can someone back me up on this?)
 
I can, kinda.  We have a mixed shop (AS/400, MPE, and every flavor of
UNIX that Lucifer ever invented).  The AS/400 programmers make extensive
use of operator time and invoke console messaging constantly.  But they
also took the time to train the operators, and the Ops group had a nasty
habit of hiring only IBM literate operators.
 
MPE programmers, wary of 3:00am questions like "what's a job" and "how
do I VARY off a printer" decided to depend less on operators (or as
one malcontent phrased it, to programm them out of the loop).  For MPE
operators merely juggle tapes, align printers and call when jobs abort.
 
The UNIX folk (half of which came from the MPE side) took this mind set,
combined it with the fact that there was no consistant console interaction
commands from one flavor of UNIX to another, and decided to all but
eliminate operator intervention.
 
So, I think any system can be refined to permit operator intervention to
the preferance of the programmer.  My experience indicates that UNIX is
less "conversational" than MPE, but not from design.  More from over-
sight.  There is a general mind-set in UNIXland that an un-announced
process abort (be it for a spooler, net daemon, etc) is fine.  Someone
will notice it sooner or later.  So the original statement may be correct,
but it is not necessarily a good state of affairs.
 
 =======================================================================
Guy Smith                               Voice:   804-527-4000 ext 6664
Circuit City Stores, Inc.               FAX:     804-527-4116
9950 Mayland Drive                      E-Mail:  attmail.com!bronco!guys
Richmond, VA 23233-1464         Private E-Mail:  [log in to unmask]
 
The thoughts expressed herein are mine and do not reflect those of my
employer, or anyone with common sense.