Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!uunet!intercon!amanda@intercon.com
From: amanda@intercon.com (Amanda Walker)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hypercard
Subject: Re: HyperCard 2.0
Message-ID: <1567@intercon.com>
Date: 26 Nov 89 22:26:11 GMT
References: <31728@watmath.waterloo.edu> <14078@boulder.Colorado.EDU> <36655@apple.Apple.COM> <1564@intercon.com> <21412@ut-emx.UUCP>
Sender: news@intercon.com
Reply-To: amanda@intercon.com (Amanda Walker)
Organization: InterCon Systems Corporation
Lines: 30

In article <21412@ut-emx.UUCP>, dnewman@ut-emx.UUCP (Dave Newman) writes:
> Amanda's points about potential changes to stated goals for features and 
> specifications are well-taken.  But surely we can expect something to calm
> our nerves when nothing is said about a product that we are awaiting with
> baited breath?

I do sympathize; I'm real interested to see where HyperCard heads, especially
in the area of speed.  It's already great at updating the screen (my biggest
problem with SuperCard), but scripts are still not all that fast, even on
a Mac II.  In particular, I think that it would be a great improvement if
non-trivial user interface features could be implemented in HyperTalk and
still keep things responsive, even if the semantics of HyperTalk remained
just as they already are.

One thing to keep in mind is that Apple has a very good track record of
changing their products, especially when those products have been declared
"system software" :-).

My guess (which is just that, this time) is that we won't see another version
of HyperCard before System 7.0 hits the streets, but that we will see one
either at that time or shortly thereafter.  HyperCard is the most obvious
thing to drop user-customizable support for IAC into, among other things.
It's already got a nice little script interpreter and user interface, and
giving HyperTalk the ability to send and receive messages to and from other
applications would give it a huge amount of new leverage.

Amanda Walker
InterCon Systems Corporation
amanda@intercon.com
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