I came across this in the 40k list. Enjoy !
Regards
Oki
Date: Thu, 8 May 1997 10:19:50 -0400 (EDT)
From: Christopher Kelly <crkelly_at_...>
To: 40k-list_at_...
Subject: Re: Cheese. no threat at all
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.95.970508093630.27808A-100000_at_...>
On Thu, 8 May 1997, Per Andersson wrote:
> Most generals like have more than a vauge feeling to base their
> decitions on. This is why military organizations devote lots of time and
> effort to gatering intel.
Yeah, you just don't see that many Mac-OS based armies these days.
> It is in the cases where the intel efforts has failed (or is ignored)
> where the really spectacular faliures can be observed. Market-Garden is
> probably among the most well-known examples of this.
And of course I need not remind everyone of the infamous Pentium crash
massacres on Istvaan V. Oh sure, they SAID it was a heresy. HA! Bloody
computer error, if you ask me.
In fact, maybe the reason there is so much conflict in the 40k
universe is because all the computers are incompatible. I mean, when you
have every race running around with a different OS on their boxes, you're
bound to have some hardware conflicts. Think about it:
First we have the Imperium. Solid Windows-based environments on
all the systems. Not the greatest, but ALL the computers have it, so you
just have to suck it up and work with the technology at hand, rather than
risking an investment in a new non-standard tech. Recently, some Codex
marine chapters have upgraded to Win95, which the Adeptus Mechanicus was a
bit nervous to try, and has its quirks, but so far seems to be working out
ok. Unfortunately, there just aren't enough resources to outfit all of
the Imperium's systems, so the poor IG is stuck using 3.1, with some
commanders and Stormtroopers issued Windows for Workgroups (a better
in-between solution, but requires more support staff to maintain).
Space Wolves of course have their own view: Amiga. Sure, it's
different from EVERY other Imperial computer, but way-back-when, Leman
Russ decided he liked the architecture, so BY RUSS they'll keep using
Amigas til the Wolftime. Strains the tolerance of the Inquisition, using
such heretical technology, but the Wolves have always cared little about
such matters.
Chaos forces are truly in a sad way, still stuck in the Dark Ages
of DOS. I mean, it was a good idea guys, but it's just SO outdated.
Alas, they seem to be too busy to devote resources to upgrades, so their
over-taxed techs just make do, programming custom software solutions in
Fortran and Cobol for these ancient and unstable machines.
Squats, as we all know, are much smarter about technology than the
Imperium. They realize that DOS was really just a poor hack-up of the old
STC Unix template. So they've been happily developing the Unix system for
years, while the oblivious masses of man were kludging through eons of
back-slashes and 8/3 file naming conventions. It's rumored the squats
even have a technology known as 'true multitasking' which has eluded the
Adeptus for ages, and was finally declared too dangerous - excommunicatus.
Eldar of course use Macintosh. They're always going on about how
their operating system had such-and-such a feature years before everyone
else, how it's so beautiful and easy to use, ad nauseum. Who knows, maybe
the other races would have switched over years ago, but they just can't
deal with the arrogant, holier-than-thou attitude the Mac users give off.
There are debates about whether the Eldar are truly a dying breed, or if
maybe there is a chance that they will come back. Perhaps if the Exodites
can get some production up on those Maiden Worlds...
Orks, everyone's favorite greenskins, are unusual. They use OS/2.
In many ways it is rediculously unstable, and getting it to be compatible
with other systems is a job only a Mekboy could love, but there is no
doubt that in some cases, it is indeed far advanced compared to the
alternatives. For some reason, no Ork can really explain this, but they
don't seem to care. They just seem to KNOW how to use it, so no one
really bothers them about it.
Tyranids, the glorious Hive Mind, is an anomoly, in that it has no
true OS. You see, the bugs use Java. It can't run on its own, and
requires other computer systems to sustain it, but it has the ability to
adapt and evolve to fit any system as needed. Naturally, this new and
alien technology is quite horrifying to the other races of the galaxy, and
but its influence is taking root. Here and there on different planets,
small cults are growing in support of this new evolution...
I think I hit every major one so far, but if anyone has anything
to contribute, be my guest. If any Blood- or Dark Angels would like to
inject your brooding OS comments, be welcome. I should probably apologize
to the list for mangling a potentially nice thread, too. :) Hopefully
it's funny enough to make up for it. It's amazing how much work I get
done when I'm procrastinating...
- C
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Received on Sat May 10 1997 - 04:26:10 UTC