Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!snorkelwacker!bu.edu!nntp-read!ghost From: ghost@bucsf.bu.edu (Jay Adelson) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Subject: Re: Apple's Non-Support of the GS Message-ID: Date: 3 Oct 90 17:28:13 GMT References: <9010022021.AA10969@apple.com> <9017@ucrmath.ucr.edu> <7452@darkstar.ucsc.edu> Sender: news@bu.edu.bu.edu Organization: Boston University Computer Science Department Lines: 70 In-reply-to: I think the problem here lies in a sort of catch-22: The software manufacturers, whether it be game people, utility people, etc, they look at the Apple IIGS now and say, "Gee, with all this bad press I've heard, from Apple users about Apple not supporting the GS, I'd have reason to believe if we released this software it\ might not sell very long. That is, if Apple discontinues the GS or if Apple stops supporting it." If the software and hardware manufacturers believed that there were lots of GS users out there, and that there will be more, then they would produce more. It's that simple. There is only one solution: Make the people believe we're out here waiting for their stuff and that we will buy it. Some problems in this idea: 1) Software pirates. In the Apple community especially, there is probably the largest (or former largest now with Amiga pirates) underground pirate network in existance. If (and I'm willing to bet this) over 50% of the GS owners out there STEAL all their wares, then what sort of support do you expect? I used to be a software pirate years ago, and I know how easy it is, so it's understandable considering the price of software out there. But, IF YOU WANT SUPPORT, you better cut it out! 2) Shareware. Shareware is a blessing in disguise. Granted, it PROVES that there are qualified programmers out there. It distributes great software. But these authors MUST be paid for their work! If they recieve no cash for their efforts, they might as well move to the amiga or IBM, each with more responsive shareware worlds. 3) Software orientation. The GS market is educational for the most part. But WE the general owners of the GS need software which doesn't just sound nice and look nice. It has to DO something that is powerful enough to attract more experienced computer users...what I mean is, in this day and age, more people then before are computer literate, and these people aren't going to settle for FTA demos and games. They will want applications like AppleWorks GS and GraphicWriter III for example. A good program, for example, might be a NDA which downloads a file in the background. (Yes I know someone wrote one of these for GS+)... ...MOST IMPORTANT is that the bad press stops. If we the GS users of the world complain, MAYBE apple hears us. But DEFINITELY the software/hardware manufacturers hear us. What are we complaining about is important, but start being more positive publicly about the GS and I'm sure the attitudes of users AS WELL AS developers will change. And that, my friends, is the opinion of an Apple II user who's been hacking (in a figure-of speech sense) around with one of these machines in one form or another for years. Since I was 11, in fact. Any computer which can attract an 11 year old MUST have virtue. And back then, if you recall (that was in 1981) games and programs weren't as pretty..but the reason they sold better and seemed to be more interesting is not because I was 11 years old. It is because they functioned better. They're developers were interested and *enthusiastic* about the Apple II. It showed. So let's make the developers out there *enthusiastic.* We did it before. We can do it again. -- """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" [ Jay Adelson ] [ T.G.C. ] [ ghost@bucsf.bu.edu ] [ 1039 Commonwealth Ave. #18 ] [ J.ADELSON1 (GEnie) ] [ Boston, MA. 02215-1008 ]