Path: utzoo!yunexus!ists!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!romp!auschs!d75!sabre!robin
From: robin@sabre.uucp (Robin D. Wilson/1000000)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Hooks and ladders
Message-ID: <2835@d75.UUCP>
Date: 17 Nov 89 16:22:09 GMT
Article-I.D.: d75.2835
References: <4299@nigel.udel.EDU>
Sender: news@d75.UUCP
Reply-To: robin@reed.UUCP (Robin D. Wilson/1000000)
Organization: IBM AWD, Austin, TX
Lines: 71

In article <4299@nigel.udel.EDU> acm131@eric.ccs.northeastern.edu (Craig Scott Lennox) writes:
>
>
>One of the aspects of the Macintosh that make it a favourite amongst
>hackers is it infinite customisability.  There are numerous hooks
>built right into the OS design which allow you, with sufficient
>documentation, to change the desktop to suit *your* tastes.  Except,
>of course, you can't make it multitask.
>
>Enter the Amiga.  A true multitasking computer which gives you more
>of what you use a computer for.  But what my hacker friends all want
>to know is:  Does AmigaDOS, Intuition and the Workbench have the same
>kind of open architecture and design hooks as their beloved Mac OS?
>Will they be able to hack all sorts of neat patches like Windowshade,
>Black Box, and BackDrop into the Workbench?  Will they be able to have
>their 16 zillion fonts and DA's around for calling up at moment's whim?
                            ^^^^
                            Not really needed on a multitasking machine.

>Can you cut and paste between different windows of different applications
>on the Amiga as easily as on the Mac?  Can you store digitised graphics
>and sounds as resources and use them in programs as you can on the Mac?
>\
>					Craig.

Well Craig,

I too am new to the Amiga world,... inasmuch as I have just recently purchased
and A500 -- but I have read comp.sys.amiga since it first changed from 
whatever it used to be (funny, but I can't remember the old name anymore).
And I saw my first Amiga within 1 month of the announcement party.

Let me tell you about customizing... I have a new font for my workbench.  No
more of that stinking TOPAZ.  (I used "FED" provided by the Extra's 1.3.2
diskette that came with Amy, to make my own font -- more like a serif font.)
I have Csh provided by one of the Fish disks (great program, I really like the 
ability to use my easy to remember "UNIX" commands ;-) ).  Last night, I 
used Image-ed (another fish disk product) to draw a new trashcan ICON.  My 
workbench colors are completely different than the defaults, I use a sort of
khaki background, with navy blue letters, maroon 3rd color, and light blue
4th color -- looks great, all supplied with the preferences.  I have played
with a program (can't remember the name; though) that will allow me to use an
IFF image as my background screen (another fish disk).  My pointer has changed
from the default -- bloated arrow -- to a cross-hair, to a more precise 
black and red arrow (looks more like a Mac pointer, but tomorrow -- who knows?)
The Icons for all of my PD disk collection (~20 so far) range from regular
diskette's to fish to huge eye catching pictures.  I use VLT4.226 for modem
communication (Thanks to SLAC, and Fred Fish again), and I must say I have 
never seen a better comm package (and I've used several on the Mac and PC's and
on my UNIX workstation here at work).  My dad has a Mac II, and I have used it 
extensively (he still calls me to find out how to do things on it), but for
sheer ease of customization the Amy blows the Mac away.  (Oh yeah, I almost
forgot, I have several ARP* commands replacing my original OS commands and
intend to get the full ARP set later on.)

*ARP == the AmigaDos Replacement Project, these commands swap out with the 
standard Amiga commands, to provide the same function, but usually more speed,
more function, and/or less space.  Try swapping out some of the standard Mac commands, I bet RES-ED stuff to do that would be crazy.

Just my opinion.
No need to start an Anti-Mac war, I just BELIEVE I am right!


+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|The views expressed herein, are the sole responsibility of the typist at hand|
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|USNail:                               UUCP:                                  |
|2323 Wells Branch Pkwy., #G107        cs.utexas.edu!romp!ibmaus!auschs\      |
|Austin, TX  78728                     !sabre.austin.ibm.com!robin            |
|Home: (512)251-6889                                                          |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+