Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!know!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!julius.cs.uiuc.edu!wuarchive!psuvax1!psuvm!q8n
From: Q8N@psuvm.psu.edu (Scott D. Camp)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hypercard
Subject: Re: HyperCard 2.0 (press release)
Message-ID: <90269.104119Q8N@psuvm.psu.edu>
Date: 26 Sep 90 14:41:19 GMT
References: <44987@apple.Apple.COM> <3920@tellab5.tellabs.com>
 <45145@apple.Apple.COM> <1990Sep26.004233.25633@nada.kth.se>
Organization: Penn State University
Lines: 49

In article <1990Sep26.004233.25633@nada.kth.se>, mrfung@nada.kth.se (Lars-Erik
Fredriksson) says:
>
>C'mon Chuck,
>
>We know you always like to break news to us but now you seem to be
>throwing dust in our eyes!
>
>you say:
>
>> I was telling the truth for 2.0. What Claris does later may well be
>> different, and as far as I can tell, they're telling the truth for that. 2.0
>> is 2.0 is 2.0 -- but 2.?? is still being looked at.
>
>what is it you really *know* 'cause if 2.0 is never shipped to anyone
>it really does not matter if there is only *one* version of it!

Actually, HC 2.0 has been given to my university for public distribution. It
is a free upgrade, takes 5 800K floppies (of course, the 'tour' takes one of
these five), and appears to be a really good product. I think the HC
development team deserves a lot of credit. Of course, you don't get the
manuals with this type of upgrade, but then there is a HyperTalk reference
stack that helps alleviate this need if you also have some of the popular
HyperCard 2.0 books.

Even though I have HC 2.0, I have no idea of which 'version' I possess.
However, I can assure you that it is completely scriptable (is that a word?).
So, I would assume that Chuq is correct in stating that HC 2.0 has only one
real version and the differences announced in the press release are not
substantial for 2.0. But as Chuq notes, who knows about release 2.x.

I too would like to see some clear word coming from Apple on what they mean
in their rather terse and confusing press release. If they are planning
(Apple, Claris, or whoever) to pursue a path of making users pay for the
full functionality of HC in future releases, then I definitely add my voice
of protest. If this is not the plan, then why was HC handed over to Claris?
I would assume that Claris cannot count the overhead for developing HC off
against the sales of Macs in another division of the company.

I guess what I'm saying is that the changes look ominous for the future of
HC remaining a 'free' part of the system software. Normally, I would not care
to speculate, but I feel forced to so my opinion can be heard before the
decision becomes written in granite (if it hasn't already).

Scott D. Camp   Q8N@PSUVM.PSU.EDU
The Pennsylvania State University
305 Oswald Tower
University Park, PA  16802
814-863-0121