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Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!hoptoad!tim
From: tim@hoptoad.uucp (Tim Maroney)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer,comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: APDA on a disk
Message-ID: <7370@hoptoad.uucp>
Date: 19 May 89 19:22:25 GMT
References: <31042@apple.Apple.COM>
Reply-To: tim@hoptoad.UUCP (Tim Maroney)
Organization: Eclectic Software, San Francisco
Lines: 41

Thanks for asking for ideas, Keith.  Im sure the first one that comes to
my mind is the same as many others':  Include the basic MPW.  I understand
that the third-party compiler developers will scream bloody murder if you
include the C or Pascal compiler, so continue to make those separate
products.

Why include MPW, other than the fact that I'd rather not pay for it?

(1) There is a long tradition of including command language
interpreters with operating systems.  No one else, to my knowledge, has
ever charged for them as a separate product.  (Except as replacements
for the "free" CLI shipped with the OS.)

(2) CD-ROM is the natural medium for shipping a huge product like MPW.
Floppy disks don't make it at this size.

(3) If we can be reasonably sure every developer has MPW, then we can
expect a boom in developer utilities, given a standard environment for
them to execute in.  I would expect a proliferation of both freeware
and payware devloper products compatible with MPW.

(4) It will increase pressure on third-party developers to come up with
versions of their systems that are compatible with MPW Shell, which
will be a boon to those devlopers who want to take advantage of various
wonderful MPW Power Tools.  (I'd be *very* interested in an
MPW-compatible Lightspeed C, for instance.)

(5) No third party developer has a product similar to MPW (as long as
we exclude the compilers from "MPW proper"), so you aren't stepping on
anyone's toes.

(6) Apple makes its money from selling hardware, and the money from MPW
at present is infinitesimal relative to money from computer sales.
Apple can easily absorb this loss.  The only thing it gains from
charging hundreds for low-distribution products like this is many
ruffled feelings and widespread software piracy.
-- 
Tim Maroney, Consultant, Eclectic Software, sun!hoptoad!tim
"Our newest idol, the Superman, celebrating the death of godhead, may be
 younger than the hills; but he is as old as the shepherds."
    - Shaw, "On Diabolonian Ethics"