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From: gft_robert@gsbacd.uchicago.edu (opcode ranger)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: Beta and E.T.O. (Apple crispies)exit
Message-ID: <1991Feb22.163230.1@gsbacd.uchicago.edu>
Date: 22 Feb 91 22:32:28 GMT
References: <49117@apple.Apple.COM> <1991Feb13.131117.1@gsbacd.uchicago.edu> <49212@apple.Apple.COM> <1991Feb19.112326.7404@chinet.chi.il.us> <3329@ux.acs.umn.edu>
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In article <3329@ux.acs.umn.edu>, dhoyt@vx.acs.umn.edu (DAVID HOYT) writes:

>   Ahhem.  Both the finals and the betas are shipped with ETO.  Risk takers
> will want to use the new features before they are stable, software
> developers will be able to see the directions of future products and
> developers for life support systems can stay with the most conservitive
> product.  Everybody wins.

I think my problem with E.T.O is really the fact that non-final releases of
Apple Macintosh development tools are being moved from APDA to E.T.O. I have no
problem with their being on E.T.O; I do have a problem with them not being
available from APDA.

Basically, if you wish to be a "cutting edge" Mac developer (although I'm not
so sure how "cutting edge" a graphical debugger for MPW is, something THINK has
had for their compilers for years) you need to cough up $600 for a CD ROM
player, possibly several hundred to buy the 'missing pieces' of MPW you need in
order to get E.T.O., plus $320/year in order to get E.T.O. itself ($300 plus
the $20 APDA membership you need to get E.T.O.).

An investment of, say, $1200 or so may not be a lot for a large company. And
it's to those folks that E.T.O. is probably aimed.  But there are those of us
-- and I am one -- who earn their living solely from Mac programming to whom
$1200 is a lot of money.

The argument can be made that for small developers being on the "cutting edge"
is not really that important; wait for the final to be available thru APDA.
Maybe, but then why is it worth it to other developers to purchase E.T.O., if
getting the latest stuff in a prompt manner isn't important?  And what's the
delay between alpha and final?  Probably many months.

Look, E.T.O. seems like a big step forward, and will be a great thing for many
developers.  And the fact that buying into E.T.O. is somewhat pricey is not the
end of the world: I can -- and do -- develop Mac software without the latest
goodies from Apple. And maybe I'll save my pennies to get E.T.O. someday
(MacWeek rumours that Apple will soon release a new, cheaper CD ROM player).  I
guess there's just something about being asked to shell out $1200 in order to
get new Mac development tools in a timely fashion that bugs me.  Ah well, back
to the piggy bank...:->.


Robert

-- 
============================================================================
= gft_robert@gsbacd.uchicago.edu * generic disclaimer: * "It's more fun to =
=            		         * all my opinions are *  compute"         =
=                                * mine                *  -Kraftwerk       =
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