Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!ncar!csn!stan!kucharsk From: kucharsk@solbourne.com (William Kucharski) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.system Subject: Re: What System 7 Does For You: A summary. Message-ID: <1991May9.233653.1739@solbourne.com> Date: 9 May 91 23:36:53 GMT References: <9348@idunno.Princeton.EDU> Organization: Solbourne Computer, Inc., Longmont, CO Lines: 70 Not to rain on anyone's parade, but I used to think like this when I was in school, too. Now that I've been in the "Real World(tm)" for a while, I know better (no flames intended)... In article <9348@idunno.Princeton.EDU> bskendig@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Brian Kendig) writes: >Nope. This isn't going to be another case of System 6.0 (oops) 6.0.1 >(whups) 6.0.2 (aah) ... 6.0.5 (nice) 6.0.6 (oops) 6.0.7 (crash). > >This thing's been in development for well over a year now. Apple made >a CD-ROM with the alpha 9 version of the code, and sent it to >developers so people could begin making _sure_ their programs worked >well with System 7. Then they did the same with the beta 1 version >(which included a list a mile high of reported and resolved bugs), and >then again with the beta 4 version. They even went through a handful >of `final candidate' versions, ironing out the most minor glitches. I'll believe this when I see it. Yes, 7.0alpha and 7.0b4 and friends have been out for a long time, but when you consider the number of systems out there running 7,416 PD and shareware INITs, I'm sure problems will turn up. How's the compatibility? Will I have to pay $75/pop to the developers of all my programs to get a version that won't crash under 7.0? I'm not talking "use the new features of 7.0," I'm talking what programs of mine, if any, will 7.0 break? >- Don't expect to keep using System 6 if you depend at all on your >Macintosh for work. As applications begin taking advantage of all the >new features, your machine will be at a dead-and in terms of what it >can run; as you see people working even more quickly and easily with >the improved Finder, you'll be deciding to upgrade. Define work. Yes, there are lots of hoopy new features in 7.0, but I wouldn't expect most businesses to install 7.0 on more than one or two Macs in the building before 1992 at best, just because most Mac admins that I've had to deal with at some point or another have a "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" attitude. Also, have you ever tried to get more RAM for a company-owned Mac? It isn't pretty. As far as upgrades go, how many companies out there are still running Word 3, for example? >- System 7 works fine with Plusses, SE's, and Classics. However, that >doesn't necessarily mean that it works _quickly_. The engineers at >Apple have done a *tremendous* job of optimizing the code to do quite >well on the 68000-based machines, but if you use your SE or >(especially) Plus for several hours each day, it might not be a bad >idea to look into selling your machine while you still might be able >to get some money for it, and upgrading to a Macintosh LC or IIsi. If >you're in the market for a Macintosh, don't be blindly lured by the >enticing price of the Classic; the small nine-inch screen of the >compact Macs definitely hampers System 7 more than it did System 6, >because you're likely to have more windows open on the screen at a >time (what with Multifinder on all the time). This is a nice thought, and great for the individual, but I can't see businesses which have a few hundred Pluses, SEs, etc. selling off truckloads of them to get new Macs which can deal with System 7; most likely they'll try but switch back to 6.0.4 after all their users get done complaining about what a dog their Mac has suddenly become (e.g. more of a dog than usual for a Classic/Plus/SE). I guess I'm somewhat of a cynic and kind of two-faced; I love the new features any new release brings, and I've been looking forward to 7.0 for quite some time; however I can honestly say that I won't be putting up 7.0 for at least a month or two after its release -- let other people find all the hidden bugs. Even if you've had a long beta, customers are great at finding bugs you've never even thought of... -- | William Kucharski, Solbourne Computer, Inc. | Opinions expressed above | Internet: kucharsk@Solbourne.COM | are MINE alone, not those | uucp: ...!{boulder,sun,uunet}!stan!kucharsk | of Solbourne... | Snail Mail: 1900 Pike Road, Longmont, CO 80501 | "It's Night 9 With D2 Dave!"