Simon Fraser University

Computer Science
Mach 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