Xref: utzoo comp.sys.mac:26686 comp.sys.mac.programmer:4463
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!iuvax!ndcheg!ndmath!milo
From: milo@ndmath.UUCP (Greg Corson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Apple developers & programming on the Mac
Message-ID: <1309@ndmath.UUCP>
Date: 14 Feb 89 00:35:22 GMT
Organization: Math. Dept., Univ. of Notre Dame
Lines: 67

I've seen a lot of things flying around the network lately about
programming the Mac, the cost of being a developer...etc.  I 
thought I would throw in some random observations you might find
interesting.

1. Cost of documents...You guys think YOU have it bad, the cost
of a complete document set for DEC VAX/VMS runs a cool $3,900!
Granted the document set fills an ENTIRE bookshelf...but that's
still pretty expensive.

2. Development environment...I've used everything from ancient
CP/M 8080 systems all the way up to supercomputer sized boxes.
So far, the development systems available on ALL (not just Apple's)
current PCs get the booby prize from me!  Working on a SIMPLE c
program last night on my Mac I discovered that a little thing
like a misplaced digit in an fread statement causes the entire
machine to lock up and required rebooting to clear.  No matter
how nice MPW is, I have a hard time working on a machine where
a simple error can crash the whole shooting match right out from
under you.  This is obviously due to the lack of any memory
protection hardware.

3. Apples new $$$$ programs for certified developers...personally
I think Apple may be killing themselves.  It's hard enought to
get started as a Mac developer now.  With this kind of price-of-entry
all the basement hackers will be all but cut off.  So far, all
companies I know of who have tried to charge developers large amounts
of money have regretted it in the end.  The most famous case being
the TI 9900 PC, TI wanted over $5000 for the hardware needed to be
a developer....the whole machine eventually died due to lack of software.

4. SMART stuff...one move DEC has made which Apple would be VERY
wise to follow.  DEC has put ALL their documentation (several 6'
bookcases full) onto a CD and will be providing a program that
lets you Hypertext around the manuals, view diagrams...etc.  If Apple
did this to INSIDE MACINTOSH, it would make things a lot easier on
developers.  It would be cheaper too...since CD's can be mastered in
quantity for under $5.  They could charge less for INSIDE MAC, or
charge the same price and have money left over so they could mail
out updates.

5. If somebody puts out a Mac editor as flexible and powerful as
DEC's VAX/TPU...I'l kiss their feet!  Same goes for something like
the VAX source level debugger (I guess MPW 3.0 may have this?)

I guess that's about enough out of me...please don't get me wrong, I'm
not a Mac hater or a VMS/Unix junkie, just a long time (16 years) 
systems analyst, programmer, designer and computer user.  I love the 
Mac, it's user interface and just about
everything about USING it.  As a consultant I recomment it to people
all the time.  The only thing about the Mac that really bugs me is that
it is very hard (and expensive, particularly with the new $$$ certified
developer program) to program.  And yes...I've programmed in other
windowing systems similar to the Mac's...pretty much all the ones on
micros have the same problems.  It's only when you get into Unix and
VAX machines that the development environments get better.

My point is...it doesn't HAVE to be this way!!

Please send comments, flames, job offers (really!) and any money
that happens to be burning a hole in your pocket to....

Greg Corson
19141 Summers Drive
South Bend, IN 46637
(219) 277-5306 
{pur-ee,rutgers,uunet}!iuvax!ndmath!milo