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From: wilkins@jarthur.Claremont.EDU (Mark Wilkins)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hypercard
Subject: Re: HyperCard 2.0 (press release)
Message-ID: <8537@jarthur.Claremont.EDU>
Date: 20 Sep 90 21:44:43 GMT
References: <44987@apple.Apple.COM> <1990Sep20.191814.455@sics.se>
Organization: Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA 91711
Lines: 60

In article <1990Sep20.191814.455@sics.se> ollef@sics.se (Olle Furberg) writes:
>In <44987@apple.Apple.COM> jkc@apple.com (John Kevin Calhoun) writes:
>
>
> >Here's today's press release regarding HyperCard 2.0:
> (---)
> >     A version of HyperCard 2.0, which will run existing HyperCard stacks and
> >new HyperCard 2.0 stacks, will continue to be shipped with every Macintosh
> >computer.
> >     A complete HyperCard 2.0 authoring system, necessary for developing
> >stacks, will be sold by Claris.
>
>
>Does this mean that we are going to have two versions of HC: HC-runtime and
>HC-development, the former semi-PD and the latter strict commercial?
>
>What configurations could be done in a stack with the "free" version of HC?
>
>   /Olle



  On this matter:

  I was seeded with HyperCard 2.0 beta and have worked extensively with it.
Nothing ever indicated that the implied move would take place.

  Today, I called the Apple Developer Hotline and expressed my concerns
about what this would do to the HyperCard environment and its usefulness.
The person at the Hotline expressed that they had received no information
about this beyond the press release, even to the point of an internal HC 2.0
briefing last week not mentioning this move.

  After expressing my concerns, the Hotline person indicated that she would
talk to a couple of internal contacts she had and would Link me back with a
clarification of what is to happen.

  Further, she indicated that if they actually mean to take scripting
capability away from the causal user, she said that she would assist in
preparing a complaint and direct it to the office of the appropriate person.

  I will keep the Net up to date on what they tell me.  However, I recommend
that anyone who finds this disturbing phone up Apple themselves.

  The main Apple switchboard, for those who don't know, is 1-(408)-996-1010.
Ask for "customer service" which will probably get you a drone with a list
of Apple dealers.  Then, tell the person on the other end that you wish to
make a complaint.

  The point is that it may not be clear to the decision-makers how useless
this makes HyperCard.  If you help out by making it clear, there may be time
to make a change.

-- Mark Wilkins

P.S.  Please don't flame Apple until more info is available.  The DevHotline
person indicated that this may just mean that an advanced developer toolkit is
available, not that scripting is being taken away from the user.

P.P.S.  The above, however, is not how I read it.