Smalltalk/Squeak being the OS is a nice idea and in many arenas very
reasonable. The difficulty is in using non-Smalltalk software in such.

My wife and I homeschool our children. There are many educational titles
which my wife requires. I can't even move her to Linux until I satisfy
that requirement. :)
Plus the a few of her personal apps with features she's accustomed to.

For me the strong appeal of Squeak is its full programming capabilities
and its graphical abilities.
I can do much of what I want with Python, OCaml or something similar.
The problem instantly becomes what to use for the GUI. If I were only
interested in Linux or Windows, I could happily go my merry way. However
I like Macs better than Windows. I use Windows at work. I bought 4 Macs
and 1 Linux box. Crossplatform means something to me. This limits my GUI
choice. Then what happens with then next great OS arrives. What GUI
platform then. I have reasonable faith that Squeak will be there or can
go there.

I think on the desktop it would be difficult for Squeak to be the OS for
these reasons. But I'm all for it. :)

I would like to see Squeak as the OS as a choice. There will be those of
us who could live within its constraints. Those who do will expand the
boundaries of Squeak thereby opening the doors for others to make that
choice.

I would love to see a good performing handheld with Squeak as OS with
all the proper apps. 
I just read this today. Can Squeak compete?
http://techupdate.zdnet.com/techupdate/stories/main/0,14179,2821294-3,00.html

What about Squeak as the OS for the server?

Jimmie Houchin


"C. Gable Watts" wrote:
> 
>>I have a dream.
>>In my mind I would like to see many of the productivity type apps
>>with a high quality Squeak implementation.
>>Email, web-browser, word-processors, spreadsheets, PIM, etc.
>>At work I am on a WinME machine, at home LinuxBox, wife and
>>children on Macs.
>>
>>Squeak supercedes the OS. Squeak can provide for reasonably seemless
>>transition from one OS to another. As anyone who has used computers
>>for any length of time can attest, OSes come OSes go. However Squeak
>>can remain because it can ride on the wave.
>>
>>It would be nice if most of the truly important or critical apps
>>were Squeak based.
>>Anyone else share this dream. :)
> 
>I think all of us that have been Smalltalkers for a long time share
>this dream.  I've always stated it slightly differently.  
>I want to use a machine where Smalltalk IS the operating system 
>(as it was designed and as Squeak is fully capable of being).  
>And, of course, to have that I'd need all my usual apps built in Squeak.
>Many other have had this dream and have implemented huge parts of it in
>Squeak and in other Smalltalks.
> 
>There was even several Smalltalk-based computers.  
>Only one that I know of (Momenta) made it into production but I know of
>people who worked on other ones.
> 
> C. Gable Watts
> Web:  http://members.shaw.ca/Gable