5 That Almost Made the List of Greatest Software Ever

Is Babcock really so stupid? He writes that

  Java+Network is better than Smalltalk

quote "In compiling a list of the 12 greatest software applications ever  
written, there were some very strong candidates that just missed the cut,  
writes Charles Babcock. In 1963, MIT student Edward Sutherland submitted a  
doctoral thesis laying the theoretical groundwork for the Sketchpad  
software that ultimately led to the graphical user interfaces in Windows  
and the Macintosh. Sketchpad revolutionized the way that people navigated  
the computer screen by treating it as a navigable window rather than the  
sequential command lines that had characterized computer interfaces for  
the previous 20 years. Sutherland was awarded the ACM Turing Award in  
1988, and while his work was an undeniable breakthrough, it was so far  
ahead of its time that it was impossible to implement all of its ideas in  
software at the time. Another close runner up was Smalltalk, a major  
breakthrough to be sure, but one that has been eclipsed by Java's  
network-oriented structure that will have much greater staying power as  
the Internet age progresses. Though they have clearly revolutionized the  
types of applications available to users, geographical positioning systems  
(GPS) just missed the cut because those applications are largely made  
possible by the availability of data. Previous programs had achieved the  
same type of data interaction, just with less spectacular results. Video  
games are perhaps the best representation of the development of the  
graphical user interface. While the ability to create immersive  
texture-rich simulations on a two-dimensional screen is remarkable, it is  
difficult to select the one game that is the best embodiment of the  
technology. Finally, the VMware ESX Server just missed the cut, despite  
having facilitated the revolution in virtualization that has reshaped the  
world of Intel and AMD servers.
" unquote.

-  
http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2006/08/the_greatest_so.html

/Klaus

Depend on how you define greatest - I can define it in such a way that
Windows 3.11 qualifies.

Plus, it's an article on Information Week's site - don't expect too
much braincells operating that shop.

On Tue, 15 Aug 2006 11:34:48 +0200, Cees De Groot wrote:

> Depend on how you define greatest - I can define it in such a way that
> Windows 3.11 qualifies.
>
> Plus, it's an article on Information Week's site - don't expect too
> much braincells operating that shop.

LOL  :D

>
>

I don't think he's stupid, Klaus, just limited in scope.  Consider that what
he DOES consider "the best" includes the original Apple *simulation* of
Smalltalk and the Morris worm.

Well, OK, maybe "functionally challenged" would apply . . .

<g>

Gary


----- Original Message -----
From: "Klaus D. Witzel" <[hidden email]>
To: <[hidden email]>
Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2006 5:25 AM
Subject: 5 That Almost Made the List of Greatest Software Ever


Is Babcock really so stupid? He writes that

  Java+Network is better than Smalltalk

quote "In compiling a list of the 12 greatest software applications ever
written, there were some very strong candidates that just missed the cut,
writes Charles Babcock. In 1963, MIT student Edward Sutherland submitted a
doctoral thesis laying the theoretical groundwork for the Sketchpad
software that ultimately led to the graphical user interfaces in Windows
and the Macintosh. Sketchpad revolutionized the way that people navigated
the computer screen by treating it as a navigable window rather than the
sequential command lines that had characterized computer interfaces for
the previous 20 years. Sutherland was awarded the ACM Turing Award in
1988, and while his work was an undeniable breakthrough, it was so far
ahead of its time that it was impossible to implement all of its ideas in
software at the time. Another close runner up was Smalltalk, a major
breakthrough to be sure, but one that has been eclipsed by Java's
network-oriented structure that will have much greater staying power as
the Internet age progresses. Though they have clearly revolutionized the
types of applications available to users, geographical positioning systems
(GPS) just missed the cut because those applications are largely made
possible by the availability of data. Previous programs had achieved the
same type of data interaction, just with less spectacular results. Video
games are perhaps the best representation of the development of the
graphical user interface. While the ability to create immersive
texture-rich simulations on a two-dimensional screen is remarkable, it is
difficult to select the one game that is the best embodiment of the
technology. Finally, the VMware ESX Server just missed the cut, despite
having facilitated the revolution in virtualization that has reshaped the
world of Intel and AMD servers.
" unquote.

-
http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2006/08/the_greatest_so.html

/Klaus




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