Path: utzoo!yunexus!ists!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!mcdphx!hrc!force!covertr
From: covertr@force.UUCP (Richard E. Covert)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: MWC errors (was Re: GEM help needed)
Summary: MWC 3.09
Message-ID: <46db2d0a.14a1f@force.UUCP>
Date: 15 Nov 89 19:32:16 GMT
Article-I.D.: force.46db2d0a.14a1f
References: <30200010@inmet> <30200013@inmet> <46c13647.14a1f@force.UUCP> <1637@dukeac.UUCP>
Organization: gte
Lines: 45

In article <1637@dukeac.UUCP>, sbigham@dukeac.UUCP (Scott Bigham) writes:
> In article <46c13647.14a1f@force.UUCP> covertr@force.UUCP (Richard E. Covert) writes:
> >Has anyone else found any errors in the MWC Version 3.0 manual??
> 
> 
> By the way, what is the most recent version of MWC?  I've heard 3.0.9 and I'm
> somewhat concerned that Mark Williams hasn't notified me.  To my knowledge I'm
> registered (how might one check that?).
> 
> 						sbigham


Scott, Mark Williams Corp has a toll-free 800 number (which I forgot). But you
can call 1-800-555-1212 and ask for Mark Williams Corp in Chicago Ill (or
Oak Brook or whereever MWC is at in the Chicago area) and get the 800 number.

A couple of months ago I was told that 3.09 is the latest version. It is a shame but 
Mark Williams Corp is an excellent example of how Atari has destroyed the US ST market.
A couple of years ago, when the US ST market still looked good, Mark Williams Corp
was one of the first to provide a PROFESSIONAL level tool for the ST. The MWC C compiler
is as good as ANY I have used on an IBM PC or a Mac. The MWC C compiler is a real
good program. I can't repeat that often enough. sure there are BETTER compilers to
other people, but MWC was first. And last year MWC came out with the C Source Code
Debugger, which is a definite plus. And this year MWC has sold the source code to
the MWC C libraries.

But, when I enquired about the availability of an ANSI-compliant C compiler, I was
told that the MWC C programmer who wrote the ST version is no longer with MWC. I was
then ASKED if I wanted to write the ANSI version of the compiler, on contract to
MWC. Well, I am a rehashed hardware engineer and have NEVER Written a compiler or I
might have just taken them up on the offer. But, the fact that the offer was made,
and that MWC doesn't have an ST programmer assigned to it tells me a lot about the
US ST market. If MWC thought that our market was growing I am SURE that we would
have seen an ANSI-compliant C compiler from MWC by now.

Also, it is telling when a company has to resort to selling the source code to its
product to make some money. I mean, you don't see Microsoft selling the source code
to their C libraries for $89.95 like MWC has!! I just hope that the US market improves
before MWC drops out completely!! MWC has provided me with excellent support, and except
for some bugs in their manual, I have learned a lot from the MWC manuals.

All in all, I am very pleased with MWC. And very disappointed that the US ST market is 
so small that MWC hasn't upgraded the ST C compiler to full ANSI C.

Richard Covert, Long Live Mark Williams Corp!!