Are the criteria for Unix and PC compilers different?

[tom reingold]

This is mostly a philosophical question directed to those like me
who use both PC's and Unix.

How come compilers for the PC keep improving and make last year's
obsolete while we are totally satisfied with the one on Unix?  The
Unix ones has not been significantly changed in a long time.

Is it because we want hardware access to the PC, e.g. graphics,
keyboard, etc.?  Or is it because the PC compilers are only now
approaching the quality and completeness of the Unix ones?

What's your opinion?

Tom Reingold                    INTERNET:       tr at bellcore.bellcore.com
Bell Communications Research    UUCP:           rutgers!bellcore!tr
435 South St room 2L350         SOUNDNET:       (201) 829-4622 [work]
Morristown, NJ 07960                            (201) 287-2345 [home]