Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utcsrgv.UUCP Path: utzoo!utcsrgv!info-mac From: info-mac@utcsrgv.UUCP (info-mac) Newsgroups: ont.micro.mac Subject: Re: MacAssembler requires * 2 * Macs!? Message-ID: <4163@utcsrgv.UUCP> Date: Sat, 5-May-84 03:57:35 EDT Article-I.D.: utcsrgv.4163 Posted: Sat May 5 03:57:35 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 5-May-84 04:24:44 EDT Sender: peterr@utcsrgv.UUCP Organization: CSRG, University of Toronto Lines: 38 Date: 4 May 1984 18:17:57 EDT (Friday) From: Dick Kalagher Subject: Re: MacAssembler requires * 2 * Macs!? In-Reply-To: Your message of 3 May 84 16:41:36 EDT To: Ron Cc: info-mac@sumex-aim, erik@sri-ai, kalagher@mitre I remember reading someplace that one of the major reasons Texas Instruments failed with the 99/4 was that they "correctly concluded that the hobbiests and hackers were a small part of their customer base, but incorrectly concluded that therefore they were unimportant" Perhaps Apple can survive with software from the big houses. But don't forget, Apple, that the hackers (I use this term in the positive sense) are the ones giving advice to others on what computer to buy. They also run users groups, write books and magazines articles, and develop much public domain software for free. Don't forget that it was software availability that made the Apple II so popular-- and it wasn't 1-2-3 and Wordstar. So what am I leading up to? Well, I love my Mac and I can't wait to program it. First I find out that not only is MS-BASIC a dog, but I can only use 10-15 percent of the memory. Than I hear that PASCAL is really only meant for learning and is definately not for software development. FORTH might be OK once the bugs are out, but you need a licence to distribute software. So I rest my hopes on the assembler. But now I hear it will take TWO MACS!! Come on Apple. You designed a great machine. Don't blow it by playing games with your best free advertizing media. I'm sure if you try you can develop an assembler (or PASCAL compiler) that can run on one MAC. Dick Kalagher