[ct-user] CT & Other Operating Systems....

[Gerry Hull]

Here is my 2c worth:

"Linux is great!"

"Windows rules!"

Those of us who write software for a living are very opinionated!

I believe many CT users are not software developers or computer experts
of any type.  The majority of users need and want a simple solution.
When you build a commercial product, you build it for the largest
audience. So, even though Windows has many faults, it is the largest
market segment.  IMHO, the effort required to port CT to Linux or any
other Unix is not worth the return on investment.  However, Linux and
other Unix flavors have a lot to offer to the contest community.

There are a bunch of things that can be done, with a little support from
Ken, which potentially could make everyone happy.   Ken needs to get out
of the business of developing device drivers and code for the ever-changing
rig-control interfaces.

If Ken could expand and make public the inter-statation communications
protocol to include:
    1. Commands to start/stop sending voice/cw
    2. (generic) Rig control commands
    3. Other device commands

With this data, you can now:

    1. Run CT on a bare-bones DOS/Windows machine.
    2. Connect the bare-bones DOS machine via Serial or TCP/IP to any
       class of machine one desires.  This machine could then handle
       sending/equipment control, etc.  It could even be a cheap Linux
       box, which can be configured to control a whole bunch of radios.
    3. Develop simple microcontrolers for cheap $$$ which handle      
       specific tasks, like sending CW.

IMHO, this would allow Ken to focus on contest-type features and reduce
the overhead of the true Windows port.  It would also open a new market
for third-party interfaces running on whatever OS one chooses.

73, 

Gerry
**************************************************************
Hull Computer Consulting
MS-Windows and Internet Development/Presence Services
Greenfield, NH 603.547.8327
windev@inetmarket.com  http://www.inetmarket.com/hcc
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ex AK4L, WA4UUX, VE1CER, VE1SPI, CY9SPI, CY0SAB, VP2M/VE1RM
VE9DH Contest Page            http://www.inetmarket.com/ve9dh     
W2SZ/1 VHF/UHF Contest Page   http://www.mgef.org
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