| Re: Best platform for IDL 6.2? [message #46358 is a reply to message #46357] |
Tue, 15 November 2005 20:30   |
David Fanning
Messages: 11724
Registered: August 2001
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Senior Member |
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Kenneth P. Bowman writes:
> David, you really need to quit libeling Macs. People tend to believe
> you when you talk about IDL. ;-) I run IDL on multiple platforms,
> including Macs, Linux, and IRIX. I have no problem running my IDL codes
> on all of those platforms, and I can't think of anything I have in my
> codes that is Mac specific.
Libelling Macs! Heck, I *like* them! But I spend a couple
of hours a day trying to get them to work with IDL code
that works everywhere else just fine.
The real problem is probably NOT the Mac. Or even IDL
software. The *real* problem is that (I say this from
my own personal experience) most of the people who have
them don't know the first thing about using them! My God,
folks, they are UNIX platforms!! That is NOT the easiest
operating system to negotiate even if it *is* dressed up
as a Mac.
I'll be honest with you, at least a third of the people
in an IDL programming class--*any* IDL programming class
don't even know how to operate their own code editor. You
think I am joking, but I am not. When you look at an error
message and say the "error is on line 28" more than 50%
of the people in the room don't know how to negotiate their
way there. And then you want these people to configure and
support their Macs! Maybe I'm getting old and cynical, but
it just ain't gonna happen.
For the Macintosh to be useful to the people who love them
and have to have them, they are going to have to be a LOT
easier to use. Just my two cents. Personally, I would think
of buying one if I didn't have to also make the huge investment
in all the other non-IDL software I'd have to have to run my
life.
Cheers,
David
--
David Fanning, Ph.D.
Fanning Software Consulting, Inc.
Coyote's Guide to IDL Programming: http://www.dfanning.com/
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