Xref: utzoo comp.sys.mac:26732 comp.sys.mac.programmer:4480
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!xanth!mcnc!ece-csc!jnh
From: jnh@ece-csc.UUCP (Joseph Nathan Hall)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: Apple developers & programming on the Mac
Message-ID: <3916@ece-csc.UUCP>
Date: 14 Feb 89 16:12:48 GMT
References: <1309@ndmath.UUCP>
Reply-To: jnh@ece-csc.UUCP (Joseph Nathan Hall)
Organization: North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
Lines: 48

In article <1309@ndmath.UUCP> milo@ndmath.UUCP (Greg Corson) writes:
>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.

(Yup, it comes on a PALLET and fills a 4' wide shelf from your feet to
over the top of your head.)

>If Apple [put INSIDE MACINTOSH on a CD]
>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.  
>
Sure, but I don't think Apple CD-ROM drives can be sold in quantity for
under $150.  Wish they could ... besides, CD-ROM is sloooow!  It's most
useful as a compact source for things to run off on your LaserWriter.

>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?)

You know, this is one thing that REALLY PISSES ME OFF.  I really enjoy
using THINK C, but that *$*#^ brain-damaged, zero-frills, zero-features
editor really irks me.  (At least it doesn't "format" automatically like
the old LSP editor!  Yuccko!!!)

WHY can't those turkeys at Think give me an editor that LETS ME MOVE FROM
LINE TO LINE WITH THE LEFT AND RIGHT ARROW KEYS!?!  This is *moronic*!  What
about the *KEYPAD* ... *MACROS* ... ways to do sophisticated editing without
having to look at all those blasted dialog boxes!  If they put 1/10 the time
into the editor that they put into the source-level debugger ... sheesh.

I would gladly pay an extra $25-$50 for an "optional-extra" editor with
nice features ... some sort of command/macro language, regular-expression
search, etc ...


-- 
v   v sssss|| joseph hall                      || 201-1D Hampton Lee Court
 v v s   s || jnh@ece-csc.ncsu.edu (Internet)  || Cary, NC  27511
  v   sss  || the opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of my
-----------|| employer, north carolina state university . . . . . . . . . . .