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From: skip@ubvax.UUCP (Stayton D Addison Jr)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Any experiences with windowing packages with MSC 4.0?
Message-ID: <1169@ubvax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 14-May-87 15:34:11 EDT
Article-I.D.: ubvax.1169
Posted: Thu May 14 15:34:11 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 16-May-87 12:22:28 EDT
References: <482@ucsbcsl.UUCP> <441@csm9a.UUCP> <1098@ubvax.UUCP> <4008@teddy.UUCP> <598@bsu-cs.UUCP>
Reply-To: skip@ubvax.UUCP (Stayton D Addison Jr)
Organization: Ungermann-Bass Enterprises
Lines: 31
Keywords: WINDOWS

In article <598@bsu-cs.UUCP> dhesi@bsu-cs.UUCP (Rahul Dhesi) writes:
> ...
>Software written for Windows could be locking itself into a proprietary
>interface over which the software author has little control.
>-- 
>Rahul Dhesi
>ARPA:  bsu-cs!dhesi@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu
>UUCP:  {ihnp4,seismo}!{iuvax,pur-ee}!bsu-cs!dhesi


But Microsoft has made it abundantly clear that Windows is becoming part
of the operating system.  The proprietary interface is no more or less
proprietary than the "C>" prompt and command.com.  What's the difference
(in terms of proprietary-ness) between writing to specific locations in the
PC to acess screen memory directly (as most of the successful programs do)
and writing to Windows for compatibility with future releases of DOS?  

Yes, I realize that our friendly "C>" :-) prompt will still be around for
a while, but users wanting a smooth windowing interface will be looking for 
MS-Windows specifically.  When you pick a windowing interface you're making
a large commitment time-wise to it.  It's clear (no pun) that the user
interface for DOS will be MS-Windows.  It may be more effort now, but why
plan on re-writing the code in <2 years?

I guess I am thinking primarily of commercial products for a commercial
market.  The story may be different for others.

-- Skip Addison
   UNGERMANN-BASS, INC.
   {lll-crg, decwrl, ihnp4}!amdcad!cae780!ubvax!skip
   or sun!amd!ubvax!skip