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Choice of platform for Orbotech's project (was: RE: Please Help!)



I have some questions and points:

1. As I understand, there are really three systems for which platform/s are
   to be chosen:
   - The "machine", assumed to be an embedded processor system.
   - The computer running the GUI for controlling the "machine".
   - The development platform for the above (maybe two separate development
     platforms?).

2. Is there any special reason why the development platform has to be the
   same as the target platform?

3. Is the "product" itself a embedded processor system?  Does it have to
   use the same platform as the computer running the GUI (i.e. the computer
   via which the user is controlling the product)?

4. While most of the Linux-IL subscribers, being Linux enthusiasts, believe
   that Linux will eventually completely drive out Windows NT out of the market
   and provide complete support (via WINE, WABI or whatever) for Windows 95
   applications - it is impossible to be both responsible and give numerical
   answers to the question of which platform will be dominant in the future.

   Therefore my advice to Jeffrey from Orbotech is not to base his decision
   upon the numbers themselves, but upon analysis of the risk incurred by
   making either choice.

5. My specific suggestions for reducing the risk incurred by either choice are:
   - For the "machine" choose an operating system for which there is adequate
     cross-development support under both Windows 95 and Unix systems
     (even if currently not supported by Linux).  The risk is reduced because
     eventually almost every Unix based application will be ported to Linux; and
     you'll not rely upon Microsoft alone.
   - For the GUI machine, use browser-based interface (i.e. the "machine" and
     the GUI computer will communicate with each other by HTML).  This is the
     lowest risk because all platforms in the future will support HTML-aware
     browsers.
   - For the development platform, choose whichever platform your engineers feel
     the most powerful, comfortable and least frustrated with.
                                                                                  --- Omer
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-----Original Message-----
From:	Jeffrey Danowitz [SMTP:jeff-d@Orbotech.Co.IL]
Sent:	Thu November 05 1998 16:13
To:	linux-il@linux.org.il
Subject:	Please Help!

To whom it may concern,

We are working on a new project here at Orbotech and are currently
interested in choosing an appropriate platform in which to develop the
software for it. The final product will be a "machine" that will be
controlled by the user through a computer on the same type of platform.

Presently the dominate platform in the world is PC using windows NT/95.
What do you forsee in the future with regards to the popularity of linux
vs. windows NT/95
in the future? Can you provide numerical answers to thie question.