Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!bbn!apple!keith
From: keith@Apple.COM (Keith Rollin)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: Making Apple ][ Future
Message-ID: <25750@apple.Apple.COM>
Date: 13 Feb 89 21:25:35 GMT
References: <UXxQdAy00Xol81jY9W@andrew.cmu.edu>
Organization: Apple Computer Inc, Cupertino, CA
Lines: 54

In article <UXxQdAy00Xol81jY9W@andrew.cmu.edu> jm7e+@andrew.cmu.edu (Jeremy G. Mereness) writes:
>
>it. The gs is more unexploited than anything else.
>
>The reasons for this are ...
> c) an incomplete OS, I am not impressed with GS/OS because it does not
>recognize 5.25's, repeatedly crashes, and does not support Appletalk (I
>believe I need System3.2 to get the Appletalk routines) i.e. GS/OS, and no
>Prodos16 yet, properly addresses the dual nature of the gs, 8-bit and 16-bit.

	- GS/OS, per se, does not recognize ANY drives. This is left to the
	  device drivers. Included on System Disk 4.0 is an Apple 5.25"
	  drive driver.
	- How is GS/OS crashing? Is it GS/OS, or an application running under
	  it?
	- GS/OS does not have an AppleTalk device driver, but this simply
	  means that you can't access a file server, notably from the Finder.
	  However, the routines you need to access AppleTalk are included on
	  the disk.
>
>To elaborate on the last point, GS/OS has great problems with my use of a
>RamDisk, its Finder will not boot or recognize much of my software, it is
>missing support for Appleshare and Appletalk (I need 3.2 for that), and
>seems very combersome and restrictive.
>
>This makes programming for the GS difficult and risky. The old idea of hacking
>something out under the relatively relaxed guidelines of Prodos8 becomes
>impossible, while there are too many restrictions to do anything interesting;
>such as toying w/ a multitasking hack. The Macintosh allows a great amount of
>freedom within the borders of its window manager for hacks like MacFish,
>Alternate Beeps, background rasters, menu clocks, etc.

You can still do anything you want! When I say this, I address the many home
programmers and hackers, not the professional developer. However, everything
you have mentioned above can also be done on the GS with equal validity. In
fact, I've got a friend that has installed his own MenuClock, SoftStyle
published one of their own (along with a great number of other nifty hacks),
and I've heard of people changing the Beep sound.

>would help too. Apple's // developers should set their sights much higher than
>they are. But if they don't (Apple traditionally does not write the best
>software for its machines) than interested hobbiests should fill the gap.

Apple doesn't write any software for their machines. Not anymore. That's what
Claris is all about. All we write is the System Software, Development
Systems, and the occassional HyperCard.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Keith Rollin  ---  Apple Computer, Inc.  ---  Developer Technical Support
INTERNET: keith@apple.com
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"Argue for your Apple, and sure enough, it's yours" - Keith Rollin, Contusions