UNIX can only be considered "a system of the future" in the sense that
its users have been waiting 20 years already for it to evolve into
something sensibly usable.  (But, then, would it be "UNIX"?)  The
reality is that UNIX has simply lent itself to ready proliferation,
which is really the only reason that it is all over the place.  UNIX is
primitive as an operating system, irregular in its facilities, fragile
in its file system, and generally difficult to use.  Perhaps its one,
best hope for evolution into something solid is OSF.  We hope.
        Dick Sims, Boston University Office of Information Technology