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From: drc@claris.com (Dennis Cohen)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.system,comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: HAM (or whatever it's called)
Message-ID: <12155@claris.com>
Date: 30 May 91 14:19:16 GMT
References: <1991May29.165016.9560@sequent.com>
Followup-To: comp.sys.mac.system
Distribution: usa
Organization: Claris Corporation, Santa Clara CA
Lines: 76

iceman@sequent.com (Ian Evans) writes:

>I got this response from claris.  It sounds like $$$ is getting in the
>way of the release of a GREAT product.  %^-(

>>I have seen, and posted myself, lot's of postings about a hierarchical
>>menu app for System 7.0.  Could someone please post a definitive spec
>>sheet about this??  The basic bio-sheet would do:

>>1.  What is it called officially (if it's known yet)

>Hierarchical Apple Menu (HAM, for short)

>>2.  What does it do (please be as specific as possible)

>Does hierarchical menus for nested folders in your Apple Menu Folder (up
>to either four or six levels).

>>3.  When will it be available (please give an actual date i.e. 6/1/91)

>Scheduled for release somewhere between 10June and 30June.

>>4.  What will it cost (free, shareware fee, commercial product price)

>Undetermined at this time.  The determination as to whether it will be
>                            ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>shareware or commercial is the main thing delaying release.
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>>5.  Who is writing it.

>Chris Derossi of Apple Computer.  One of the meanest of the Blue Meanies.
>He was also the author of Dimmer, among other things.

>------
>My comments:

>When an employee voluntarily??  creates a useful application, the
>company HAS to automatically stop the presses to see if it can make a
>quick buck!!  I don't mean to slam Claris, but I suppose if I had
>written the application I might think about making a few $$$.  But a
>multi-million dollar corporation could benefit from making something
>like HAM public domain.  Like Public Folder, HAM could show users how
>Claris wants to make the mac the workstation of choice.  With all of
>the GREAT new features of System 7.0 and the new PD apps that will
>surely follow, how can the PC-compatible's keep up with this kind of
>GREAT technology. %^-)

>Claris makes great software.  We use their products here and are very
>happy with them.  I hope Claris doesn't slow down progress by heaping
>on bureaucracy.

I sent this response to Ian in answer to his question.  I had the information
since Chris is an old friend (we used to work together at an altogether
different company).  Claris has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with HAM.  The
determination of whether it will be commercial or shareware is a decision
Chris is making, not Claris or Apple -- neither of them are involved.

Just wanting to set the record straight before some people jump wildly to
wrong conclusions.  HAM belongs to Chris Derossi, Claris has not even seen
HAM, Apple is not involved in the publishing decision, Claris is not involved,
only Chris (and possible publishers -- no, I don't know who they might be)
is involved.

On a related point, Claris does applications, not utilities (at least not
as products).  Public Folder was the result of a research effort -- it ended
up being given away.  XTND is/was a technology that we licensed at no charge
to (virtually) anybody and have since given over to Apple because we and they
feel that it belongs in the System.  There will probably be other such cases
in the future -- research and development often spawns by-products that are
useful but do not qualify as products.

-- 
| Dennis Cohen     drc@claris.com   COHEN2   AFC DCohen    71076,1377
|                  Internet       AppleLink  AmerOnline    CompuServe
| Disclaimer:  Any unattributed opinions expressed above are _MINE_!