MICRO$oft (of topic sorry)

[Phillip L. Harbison]

Paul wrote:
> Everybody on the list seems to dislike MICRO$oft programs but
> still I believe that 80% of them uses those programs? [...]

I'm happy being part of the other 20%.  My home office is a
Microsoft-Free Zone(tm) with no intel inside.  I'm mostly into
various flavors of UNIX but I also have Macs for commercial apps
and for the wife and son.  I keep a spare Mac that I carry to the
job site when the client allows me to provide my own computer (in
lieu of their windoze trash).  I have never owned a Microsoft
product and I have never gone without.  In almost every case,
there is an alternative that is better or cheaper or both.

At work I have a Sun Ultra-1 and some type of Compaq PC.  I do
99.9% of my work on the Sun box.  On Friday evening, I fire up
the PC to submit my timesheet.  Even that would not be necessary
if they had written this simple app in Java or ported it to
Solaris.  I would throw the damn thing out the window except
the security cable is attached to my desk and it would probably
drag the entire desk out with it.  Ironically, there is nothing
protecting the Sun.  Sort of like buying a Club for the Yugo
but leaving the keys in the Lotus.  Go figure.

Obligatory Synth-DIY content:  I would like to build a synth kit
to get my feet wet before diving into my own designs.  I prefer
a commercial product and it should be a complete synth when it
is finished.  So far, I've considered the Paia Fatman and 9700.
I'm leaning toward the 9700 because it is modular, V/octave, and
appears to be more powerful.  It also isn't finished yet but I
believe the remaining modules will be finished by the time I get
to them.  I would appreciate advice on choosing between these
two options as well as other kit options.  Thanks.


--
*name: Phil Harbison
*path: alvitar at xavax.com
*URL: http://www.xavax.com/alvitar