Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!decwrl!fernwood!intuit!eshenk From: eshenk@intuit.intuit.COM (Eric Shenk) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: ENSEMBLE Keywords: ensemble,geoworks Message-ID: <414@intuit.intuit.COM> Date: 11 Apr 91 04:16:39 GMT References: <160277@felix.UUCP> Distribution: usa Organization: Intuit Int., Menlo Park, CA Lines: 52 bieber@felix.UUCP (Doug Bieber) writes: >I just received a "flyer" from GeoWorks software for a package called >Ensemble. It is Motif compliant and has numerous software packages that >accompany it: a word processor, a drawing package, a file manager, a >planner, and a communications package. >Graphically, it looks nicer than Windows 3.0. However, I haven't seen a >demo of this product, yet. Has anybody tried this windowing package? >Opinions?!? How does it compare with Microsoft Windows. >Also, GeoWorks stated that they are in the process of creating developer >libraries to develop Ensemble applications. Thanks for any info... Geoworks software is in the user interface business. They are trying (with a lot of success) to gain momentum in the industry for establishing Geos as the standard window environment for low-end PCs. They publically claim that they are pursuing the bottom end of the market while Microsoft is pursuing the high end of the market, and therefore they don't compete with each other. This claim can be independantly verified by trying to run Windows on any machine less than a 386 with numerous meg. However, my astute friend the rocket scientist has observed that a product that runs on a 8086 machine ought to kick some serious behind on a 386. I doubt that Microsoft is very worried (but then again, Goliath wasn't very worried either). As luck would have it, people tend not buy user interfaces when there are no apps, so Geoworks has created Ensemble. The apps are in some ways very basic, provided the minimal functionality one would expect from a word processor or a draw program (after all, they want to provide incentive for app developers to provide the full-featured apps it will take to make Geos a success). However, what they do do is done *really well*. It should be more than adequate for 90% of all home use. Don't be fooled by the phrase "low-end PCs". It may run on low-end PCs, but the product is anything but a low-end product. The design goals that they set out with were not possible to achieve, but nobody told them, so they did it any how. I will only say two things: *every* person I've talked to has gone through these three phases a) (before seeing/playing with product) Nice idea but they don't have a chance of succeeding because of Windows. b) (They play with it). c) Stunning! Amazing! These guys are going to clean house! The second thing I will say is that they are *highly* respected by their peers. At the most recent Software Publishers Association meeting, Ensemble was nominated in three categories. They won four awards. Currently, the devlopment environment is object oriented assembler on Sun Spark stations (they're only able to support a few developers in this environ- ment). However, putting together an SDK is their highest priority. I believe they'd like to get that out by the end of the year or thereabouts. It will support C, as I understand it. -es eshenk@intuit.com With user friendlies like vi, who needs user enemies?