Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!pt.cs.cmu.edu!andrew.cmu.edu!jk3t+ From: jk3t+@andrew.cmu.edu (Jonathan King) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hypercard Subject: Re: SuperCard speed (and I'd like a pony for Christmas) Message-ID: Date: 28 Nov 89 16:51:03 GMT References: <1575@intercon.com> Organization: Psychology, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA Lines: 42 In-Reply-To: <1575@intercon.com> Amanda Walker writes: >I discovered something very interesting this evening. This afternoon I >installed System 6.0.4 on my machine in a new System Folder (so that I >could revert quickly if necessary), without most of my usual INITs. > >When I ran SuperCard just now to remind myself of how slow it was, I was >shocked to realize that it was running *much* faster than it ever had before >for me. It's still no HyperCard, but it's into the usable range, which it >hadn't been before. I'm not sure what INIT is the culprit, but I'm rather >surprised that something would affect just SuperCard this way. 1) are you certain that it is an init, and not the new improved system software that is the "culprit"?? 2) have you checked to see whether Hypercard is running faster, too? I could possibly imagine Apple system people tuning the system to help Hypercard and thus inadvertantly help Supercard. (It could be something small, like slightly improved resource handling, [note--I am making this up] or something else that is really very minor.) 3) how much memory do you have, and were you using MultiFinder? I have noticed that performance with some programs increases or decreases dramatically when given even a little more or less memory than usual. And inits do take up memory, don't they? Sorry about the silly questions, but it would good to know whether system 6.04 or something else would make Hypercard faster and Supercard useable. I would gladly rip out all my inits to speed up Hypercard noticeably, but as it is I'll make do until a certain unannounced but widely rumored enhanced version of a current software product put out by some company in California is released. And if we're lucky, said c.u.b.w.r.e.v. might include improvements in its scripting language such as real data types, better scoping of variables, improved access to resources, an (optional) less goofy syntax for some operations, (i.e. 'domenu "New Button"' is really goofy, in my opinion) a real script editor, (oh my soul) and an incremental compiler (hallelujah!). And while we're at it, I know some people would appreciate built-in support for some kind of Mr. Coffee drivers... jking