The first part of that joke is an exaggeration. The second part of "not-so-great editor" is simply incorrect.
Emacs does provide some OS-like features - process management, file system interface, window management, runtime environment, but it lacks tons of other things to be even close to an OS - there's no direct hardware control, no memory protection between different parts, no multi-user support with security isolation, no device drivers, no network stack management, etc.
The "lacks a decent text editor" part is more unfair than the OS comparison. Emacs objectively has a very capable editor - stating otherwise is a sign of unfamiliarity and ignorance about it.
The joke is a relic from the 1990s and it's aimed to capture how Emacs (used to) prioritize power and extensibility over immediate usability - making it simultaneously impressive and frustrating - back in the day.
The joke is hilariously outdated along with another one - "8MB and constantly swapping" - Emacs went from resource hog to surprisingly lightweight without changing much - the world just got more bloated around it.
I'm just baffled why programmers are so notorious for holding onto outdated conventional beliefs that no longer hold any truth about them. Especially for cases like this, when it was clearly a joke. A joke that has not aged well at all.
Absolutely, I've been a die-hard Emacs user since about 2007 or so. I was a vim user for about ten years or so before that. It's absolutely an out-dated joke. Don't take it seriously.
Emacs does provide some OS-like features - process management, file system interface, window management, runtime environment, but it lacks tons of other things to be even close to an OS - there's no direct hardware control, no memory protection between different parts, no multi-user support with security isolation, no device drivers, no network stack management, etc.
The "lacks a decent text editor" part is more unfair than the OS comparison. Emacs objectively has a very capable editor - stating otherwise is a sign of unfamiliarity and ignorance about it.
The joke is a relic from the 1990s and it's aimed to capture how Emacs (used to) prioritize power and extensibility over immediate usability - making it simultaneously impressive and frustrating - back in the day.
The joke is hilariously outdated along with another one - "8MB and constantly swapping" - Emacs went from resource hog to surprisingly lightweight without changing much - the world just got more bloated around it.
I'm just baffled why programmers are so notorious for holding onto outdated conventional beliefs that no longer hold any truth about them. Especially for cases like this, when it was clearly a joke. A joke that has not aged well at all.