Linked by Eugenia Loli-Queru on Mon 22nd Oct 2001 18:16 UTC
Original OSNews Interviews REBOL is a powerful software technology (ever thought that you could write a full blown GUI Instant Messenger in only 7 kb of source code?) designed from the ground up to enable a new era of distributed Internet applications. The technology provides a ubiquitous, lightweight model of distributed computing that operates across all types of computer systems. REBOL is a true distributed computing architecture. Applications and data become distributed across all devices. REBOL is completely device independent, so it does not matter what operating system or hardware is being used. Every system of the Internet becomes an independent resource that can process and communicate information. The REBOL kernel currently runs on more than 40 different operating systems -- everything from large Sun Solaris servers, to Windows and Macintosh PCs, to Linux, BeOS, down to CE handheld devices. And it is here to revolutionize the Internet, by introducing the X Internet (also called as 'XNet') through the REBOL Internet Operating System (IOS). Read more of what Carl Sassenrath, Rebol Tech's CTO and founder, has to say about the future, Rebol and the race against Microsoft's .NET Services.
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The catch
by Gregg on Wed 7th Nov 2001 19:01 UTC

It's not in widespread use yet, though things are looking up for it distribution-wise. It is different enough from the widely used imperative languages out there that it may take you some time to adjust and see the elegance it allows. The code I write with REBOL is *totally* different from the code I would write in any other language but you have to be able to "let go" if you really want to make the best use of it. Trying to force it to act like "regular" languages will probably lead to frustration. One complaint I've heard, which seems is valid at this moment in time, is that the licensing scheme is somewhat unclear. Hopefully they can resolve that issue because the technology is really terrific IMO.