Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!apple!mattd From: mattd@Apple.COM (Matt Deatherage) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple Subject: Re: AppleFest Message-ID: <30400@apple.Apple.COM> Date: 10 May 89 06:12:55 GMT References: <302@tree.UUCP> Distribution: na Organization: Apple Computer Inc, Cupertino, CA Lines: 135 In article <302@tree.UUCP> guest@tree.UUCP (PRAO) writes: > > > Well, looks like AppleFest - Boston - 1989 wasn't the end all to computer >fairs, eh? Pretty lame actually. GS/OS v5.0 was announced (NOT released!), >and basically some other stuff. NO Zip chip GS, Sword Of Sodan nor Test Drive >II gs was not shipping. Pretty disappointing if you ask me. > After about four hours tonight on both the net and AppleLink PE it's becoming readily apparent that Parik's knowledge about this disk is about 1/10th of what's necessary to knowledgably post at the level he's posting... > Lets see about Sys Disk v5.0... > >o Appletalk support (yipee, wowzers) Ah, another "It's not important to me, so it's not important" one. True, many home users don't have AppleShare capabilities (large understatement). But many schools do, and lots and LOTS of people have been asking for us to make GS/OS and AppleShare work together. We listened; now they do. This also means we will no longer require our network developers to use ProDOS 16 for their AppleShare applications. >o Resource Manager (toolset #34?) No, it's tool #30. TextEdit is #34, and is new for 5.0. It allows text editing in a desktop environment, including multiple fonts/styles/sizes, full support of the editing commands (menus and control keys), as well as both desktop and textual-retrieval methods. If you use TaskMaster, it will handle just about everything for you as well. >o super-loader (EXPRESSLOAD, 21 block P16 file). A super-loader? ExpressLoad allows specially processed OMF files (pre-processed and slightly expanded) to load many times faster than the standard Loader. AppleWorks GS with all modules loads four times faster just due to ExpressLoad. Expressed files are fully compatible with the standard Loader, which is still present to handle files not handled by ExpressLoad. >o graphic control panel. A NDA look-alike. Its a program called > GS.OS.DEV in the SYSTEM subdirectory, and a entire subdirectory > called CDEVS is devoted to it. Its basically a form of your > CONTROL PANEL NDA, but looks alot like the *ICK* Mac control panel. The Control Panel NDA is a file called "CtlPanel.NDA" (yes, the ProDOS FST does allow for lower-case names in files now!) in the *:System:Desk.Accs folder. CDEVs are the short-hand name for Control Panel modules. They are present in the *:System:CDevs folder, and can include init code as well as code that operates when the NDA is selected. The CDev format isn't available yet, but they are entirely resources (the data forks are empty). GS.OS.DEV is a new file for 5.0 that is a break-out and speed enhancement of the GS/OS Device Manager, giving fantastic speed improvements for character I/O as well as many other device manager activities. (This was mentioned at AppleFest, but hasn't made it to the network -- too many people who weren't there are busy downplaying it all.) >o Rewrite of tools to support speed QuickDraw and its dependents (Window Manager, etc.) are greatly sped up. This has little effect on developers except that the programs they've always written will work faster. >o Bigger files (START [finder] is 189 blocks, GS/OS itself is bigger) > The Finder is larger, but it does more things better. GS/OS is a little larger but several new system calls have been added, as well as a completely new SCSI Manager (with HD and CD-ROM drivers) that speeds up SCSI I/O by five times (16 MB/second under 4.0 vs. 80 MB/second under 5.0 - with no additional hardware required). >Umm,I think thats it?!? Oh yeah, something like FASTFONT in the system >subdirectory, not sure what it does. Font Editor? > FastFont is a pre-shifted version of Shaston 8 that allows all Shaston 8 drawing (which is a large portion of all text drawing) to be much faster. > >Anyways, theres a press release which kind of says a bit more, but sort of >does not :). Will have to wait and see for the gods at Apple *snicker* to >tell us more about this product. No GS+ however, a curse on Sculley and his >tribe. > So since it didn't say more, we'll just make it up. Good strategy. > >------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Parik Rao AppleLink - AFA PARIK > PARIK >-------------------------------------------------------------------------eek--- I'm sorry to post something that looks so incredibly like a flame, but it's more than a little annoying to listen for many hours to someone who doesn't know very much about the system telling everyone how insignificant it is. Did he mention that switching from ProDOS 8 to GS/OS takes about 4 seconds? Did he mention that TaskMaster now handles controls in windows, including sending events and keystrokes to controls - an enhancement that can make programming the GS in the desktop almost as easy as AppleSoft BASIC? Did he mention the Scatter Read routine in the AppleDisk3.5 driver that allows an effective 1:1 interleave on 3.5" disks? Did he mention scrolling menus? Did he mention the scrolling CDA menu? Did he mention pop-up menus? Did he mention extensive changes to Miscellaneous Tools, Desk Manager, Sound Manager, Window Manager, Menu Manager, Control Manager (object oriented), QuickDraw Auxiliary (now with SeedFill and CalcMask), Line Edit, Font Manager, List Manager, and a complete rewrite of Standard File? Did he mention new Print Manager calls? Did he mention new features in the Installer and ADU? Did he mention a faster Memory Manager? Did he mention new additions to APW later this year to support all this, including a new shell, new linker, REZ compiler (and DeREZ utility), Express utility (soon to be built into the linker)? Did he mention GS/OS drivers for AppleTalk, RPM and AFP? Did he mention renamable devices? I think not. But I did, because I want you to know this thing is not "just another system disk." This is "just another system disk" like GS/OS is "just another ProDOS". It's not available yet - we're telling you about our plans similar to the announcements of Macintosh 7.0 at the Developers Conference today. Except we're much closer to release than they are. :-) Again, I apologize for any anger in this message, but I've read enough messages from people who don't know about 5.0 denigrating it that a strong response is absolutely necessary, or I'll probably hurt Dave (who's trying, nobly, to keep my emotions in check). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Matt Deatherage, Apple Computer, Inc. | "The opinions expressed in this tome Send PERSONAL mail ONLY (please) to: | should not be construed to imply that AppleLink PE: Matt DTS GEnie: AIIDTS | Apple Computer, Inc., or any of its CompuServe: 76703,3030 | subsidiaries, in whole or in part, Usenet: mattd@apple.com | have any opinion on any subject." UUCP: (other stuff)!ames!apple!mattd | "So there." -----------------------------------------------------------------------------