system.time(), sys.time() etc

From: Spencer Graves [mailto:spencer.graves at pdf.com] 

     Martin says, "This is another instance of S-Plus following R 
behind and doing it incompatibly [with a reason?] ... ."

     This is one example of a major issue in "how to wage and win a 
standards war", discussed by Shapiro and Varian (1998) 
Information Rules 
(Harvard Business School Press).  Whether you're Bill Gates or Larry 
Ellison, you want to make it easy for people to move to your product 
from a competitor but expensive for your current customers to 
escape to 
the competition. 

     Spencer Graves
   

But I believe neither Insightful nor R-core would want to see each other as
competitor.  (Reality might be quite different.)  It would not be in the
best interest of either party.

(Apologies for putting words in R-Core's mouth.  As for Insightful, at least
that's David Smith's word when he talked about `Future of S-PLUs' at the
2002 Insightful Technology Conference.)

Andy


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notice:  This e-mail message, together with any attachments, contains information of Merck & Co., Inc. (One Merck Drive, Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, USA 08889), and/or its affiliates (which may be known outside the United States as Merck Frosst, Merck Sharp & Dohme or MSD and in Japan, as Banyu) that may be confidential, proprietary copyrighted and/or legally privileged. It is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity named on this message.  If you are not the intended recipient, and have received this message in error, please notify us immediately by reply e-mail and then delete it from your system.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------