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From: ccplumb@watmath.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Workbench improvements
Message-ID: <12907@watmath.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 19-Apr-87 16:54:17 EST
Article-I.D.: watmath.12907
Posted: Sun Apr 19 16:54:17 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 19-Apr-87 18:37:07 EST
References: <1108@rpics.RPI.EDU> <235@rocky.STANFORD.EDU> <1679@husc6.UUCP> <973@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU> <2007@hoptoad.uucp>
Reply-To: watmath!ccplumb (Colin Plumb)
Distribution: na
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 34
Confusion: U. of Waterloo, Ontario

farren@hoptoad.UUCP (Mike Farren) says (in <2007@hoptoad.uucp>):
>I would like to make this suggestion: after enough data has been
>gathered to allow decent decision making (probably now, actually), go
>to work on the next generation of Amiga system software: EXEC,
>Workbench, Intuition, and AmigaDOS.  Incorporate the necessary changes
>to make all of these work as efficiently, and well, as possible.  Make
>compatibility with the originals a second-level consideration with one
>exception: allow for easy conversion of "old" applications and files
>to be usable in the new software environment.

Yes, indeed!  I, for one, would put up with vast amounts of trouble
for better systems software.  The Amiga's release was rushed.  PLEASE
don't insist on using any already present kludges just because they
were there at the start.  I'd switch to a highly *incompatible* OS if
it were clearly superior.

As Mike said, everyone will go squirrley for a while making the
changeover, but if you do it *right*, and the new system is clearly
superior to the old, I don't think there'd be much opposition.
Large changes have been made by Apple (3.3 and ProDOS) and IBM
(remember FCB's and flat directories?) without losing people.
If C-A follows it's laudable tradition of releasing beta-test
versions of the OS, all the developers can easily be ready for
the big change by the time it's officially released.

I've said it before, but the success of the Amiga is due to its
technical quality.  But technological leadership doesn't last too
long.  Keep working on improving it, not in minor ways, but in major
ways.  It's an exciting machine.  *Please* keep it that way.
--
	-Colin Plumb (watmath!ccplumb)

Silly quote:
She has eyes like two holes in a burnt blanket.