Speed of shell scripts and ls holy wars

[G.R.Tomasevich]

> First, let me reiterate:  MOST UNIX MACHINES ARE
>	[ gigantic NOT ] 
> 		V	A	X	E	N	!
> 
> Our TRS-80 Model 16 can NOT NOT NOT run a shell script ANYWHERE as fast as
> a C program.  ls | pr -t -5 takes FOREVER to run!   And the Plexus P/35 is

Shell scripts do not run so fast on a VAX, either, if it is heavily loaded.
I avoid them like the plague expect for setting up and checking the
arguments to C programs.  A shell program is good if I do not need the
output particularly soon, but if I am doing real work, give me a C program.
-- 
	George Tomasevich, ihnp4!twitch!grt
	AT&T Bell Laboratories, Holmdel, NJ