Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!pyramid!prls!gert
From: gert@prls.UUCP (Gert Slavenburg)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Micro RTX
Message-ID: <9695@prls.UUCP>
Date: 10 Mar 88 23:36:34 GMT
References: <169@bdt.UUCP>
Reply-To: gert@prls.UUCP (Gert Slavenburg)
Organization: Philips Research Labs, Sunnyvale, California
Lines: 48
Keywords: RTX Beckemeyer EPROM ROM
Summary: Why would I develop for it ?

Some remarks/questions intended for the RTX discussion :

1) I enjoyed the RTX description by David Beckemeyer. As an active
   hobbyist programmer that writes a lot of utilities/tools,
   small programs and an occasional large program, I would LOVE TO
   HAVE IT as a standard environment. It will make a lot of usefull
   things a lot easier to do.

   Anyone is welcome to (the source of) my small or medium programs.
   They usually go in the public domain. Remember the first RAMdisk ?
   Or, less well distributed, the Modula-2 'WINDOWS' package to simplify
   GEM style programming.

2) However, I am also an opportunistic individual. Whenever I embark
   on a large program, I want to be able to ultimately sell it in the
   hope of financing future Atari expansions (or whatever else is
   still there 2 years from now when the dust settles).
   WHAT IS NOT CLEAR TO ME IS :
   How can I write a (large) program under RTX and still benefit from
   the large customer base out there, if RTX has to be bought by 
   everyone of those customers separately ? Or did I misunderstand that
   point, David ?

If so, some suggestions to David (Beckemeyer) :

a) Put the RTX binary, together with some nifty small programs, in the
   public domain (you need the programs - most users will not see
   the usefulness of a kernel by itself). This will ensure rapid 
   spreading and make it an attractive target for me as developper.
   Now you make your money by charging me a fee for the tools & documen-
   tation needed to produce RTX applications (your $250 - a bit low)
   and a (per copy) fee on any program that I sell to run under RTX.

b) Let's force Atari's hand : 
   I have an EPROM programmer. Let's get together and sell a set of
   CMOS EPROM's for the ST's that allows current GEM programs to run
   but also contains RTX - and in the meantime solves the known bugs
   in the Atari ROM's. Distribute them for almost cost (6 * $8 + postage)
   and the world will beat a path to your door to standardize to RTX.
   Now make money by selling REAL developers kits, publishing RTX books
   and RTX applications.
   You may even have your own EPROM programmer...
   How long do you think it will take before Atari will knock on your
   door for the right to directly put the ROM's in that the public
   demands ?

Let me know in case you want to use my EPROM programmer...

  Gert Slavenburg