Simon Fraser University
Computer ScienceMach makes its mark in operating systems classes
Reproduced with permission from NeXT
Computer, Inc.
A Reference
Guide to NeXT in Higher Education, Fall 1992
ยช
1992 NeXT Computer,
Inc.
When the School of Computing
Science at Simon Fraser University (SFU) in Burnaby,
British Columbia, decided to upgrade the instructional
computing facilities, the faculty wanted a machine with a
superior operating systems environment. The school
considered several UNIX machines and eventually decided to
purchase 29 NeXT computers.
"NeXT addressed more of the items on our wish list," says
Eric Kolotyluk, manager of Research and Education Systems.
"We were getting a workstation environment at PC prices and
Macintosh ease of use in a `real' operating system
environment."
One of the primary reasons SFU decided on NeXT was its Mach
operating system. Says Kolotyluk, "We felt we could take
the classes further by giving students hands-on experience
with Mach. It's one of the first new `real' operating
systems to come out in a very long time and the only
serious contender to contemporary UNIX systems. We had been
teaching standard UNIX, but that's like teaching history.
The current trend is toward micro-kernel technology, which
is what Mach is based on. In addition, Mach has some
incredibly elegant features."
SFU uses NeXT machines in three of its operating systems
courses: Introduction to Operating Systems, Advanced
Operating Systems, and a graduate course in operating
systems design. Plans are to move the Operating Systems
Implementation course from a PC environment to the new NeXT
computers. The school also uses the NeXT machines to teach
courses on LISP and Prolog, as well as constraint-based
logic programming using SFU's new Echidna expert system
shell. In addition, the school plans to create a new course
in graphical user interface design using Interface Builder.
"NeXT has the usability of a Macintosh system and the power
of a UNIXsystem," says Kolotyluk. "Other systems may have
more software and applications, but they are typically more
difficult to use. NeXT machines have also proven to be more
reliable under the stresses of O/S students who typically
write systems level code that gets out of hand and causes
other systems to crash. NeXT is just a nicer, cleaner,
smoother, more reliable environment."
For more information, please contact:
Eric Kolotyluk
Manager, Research and Education Systems
School of Computing Science
Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6
Canada
(604) 291-3014
eric@sfu.ca