And someone has one... Re: Virus Alert !!!

On Wed, 7 Mar 2001, Richard Erlacher wrote: As someone else here stated, perhaps people who lack the intellect to be able use some random flavor of UNIX, VMS, etc. shouldn't be using computers. That said, I believe that most computers users are not incapable of using *NIX, etc.; they're not lacking intellegence, they're just naieve when it comes to computers, and they would probably like *NIX, etc. once they began using it. Well designed cars, now turned "classic," are, like classic computers, vanishing. Regarding Detroit: After renting a 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis for nearly two months, I will say that it's not as nice a car as my 1972 Mercury Montego MX Broughm - despite many nice modern features like dome lights that dim as they go out, however, it's still a much nicer car than any of the little Japanese cars and most other imports that I've seen. It's not only Detroit that's deteriorated. Look at Volkswagens for example; the old VW Beetles were well-engineered, fun to drive and easy to repair---very nice cars, even if they did crumple up like tin cans; the new Beetles are, well, annoying. At least Detroit still makes reasonably nice pick-up trucks like the Dodge Ram 3500 and Ford F550s, even if they can't build useful station wagons anymore. New cars are even a pain to drive with one hand on the steering wheel, and resting one's arm on the window-sill/ledge (or whatever it's called) when the window is down is not comfortable; strange design. Blame the U.S. government for fuel economy regulations that killed off nice cars, not the U.S. auto manufacturers. It's unfortunate that the metal has been shaved down to being nearly paper-thin in various places to make the cars lighter, and that plastic is used where metal should be used, etc. - these new cars probably won't even last 30 years or more. Alas, safe, solid, comfortable, nearly a ton and much heavier, 300 to 400-plus horsepower---with relatively simple V8 engine designs, rear-wheel drive cars seem to be a thing of the past, but it's not Detroit's fault entirely. Just like the substantial well-designed, easily repairable, computers, like our beloved PDP-11s, etc. have gone out of manufacture, so have well-designed, easily-repairable, cars. ...of course, marketing droids, no doubt, play a major role in the deterioration of both nice cars and computers. -- Copyright (C) 2001 R. D. Davis Ancient guru who see future once say: All Rights Reserved "wise man who meditate upon immortal wisdom rdd(a)perqlogic.com 410-744-4900 of Bart Simpson's words: "Don't have a cow, http://www.perqlogic.com/rdd man" will enjoy interesting life."