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From: rewing@Apple.COM (Richard Ewing)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: The Mac of the 90's....
Message-ID: <37277@apple.Apple.COM>
Date: 15 Dec 89 00:38:49 GMT
References: <9986@zodiac.ADS.COM> <37167@apple.Apple.COM> <10088@zodiac.ADS.COM>
Organization: Apple Computer Inc, Cupertino, CA
Lines: 76

Okay, I think we both were speaking a little emotionally the last time.
You've calmed down, and I've calmed down.  Good...

I can se your point about having the Mac based on C cals than Pascal
calls.  Development in C has really exploded in the last few years.
We are kindof left with the original Lisa legacy of Pascal, in which
that computer was heavily based.  Of course, nothing will stop you
from programming in C to Pascal style calls, but it can be
syntactically unwiedly.  So noted.  Of course, many people still program
in Pascal...

Regarding the user interface issues:  Sure we could provide a repository
of various different wdef and cdef and mdef resources to customize
the Mac for the users' tasts, but do you know what that would do to
us as a company?  This Mac's hallmark has been a clean consistent
user experience.  To officially sanction that kind of "designer"
user interface would invalidate that very concept.  Now I grant you,
my mac has lots of those "enhancements" too. But I really dondon't think
that you and I are typical users.  We will go to whereever to get
the INITs we want.  The majority (*vast*) will be confused, and
wouldn't want to get involved.  If we change the Apple Desktop Interface,
we'll do it across the board and ONE WAY.  Doing it three different
ways only confuses the users and the public.

Regarding System 7.0 and two megs of RAM.  Okay, not every user is
going to want to upgrade memory, but memory is cheap today, anand
considering your options on the DOS/OS2/UNIX enviroments, its
a bargain of flexibility. Hell, even my Apple IIgs has 5 megs of
memory and didn't cost that much.

Regarding the POSIX complient issues: I fail to see why you have
to say that the Mac OS must be POSIX, when POSIX was obviosly
biased towards Unix, and the two POSIX platforms you mentioned (Sun
and NeXT) are both Unix based.  I remind you again that A/UX 1.1.1
is POSIX complient, was one of the first OS's to be so, and is
a *full* AT&T Unix that can do all that other AT&T unixs can do,
and can even run some Mac apps on the side.  Don't think that
A/UX is a baby Unix devoid of features.  Its got it where it counts,
including X-Windows.

Incidentally, in most cases you just can't call up your local
evangelist and ask for preliminary copies of software.  No telling
*who* you might be...MacWeek, IBM, Sun, NeXT, or a disgruntled
soul with an axe to grind. You'd have better luck contacting
your local Apple field sales office and ask a systems engineer
if you could be previewed software for whatever legitimate purpose.
That way, we can know you, and you know us face to face, and can
answer your questions and concerns.  We can't show or give you
everything (like ystem 7.0 for example), but you'll have better
luck locally instead of dealing with corporate.  That's our jobs,
and not what the evangelists should be doing.

When I refer to object-oriented programming, I mean I refer to the
programming enviroments that have existed for the last 7 years
(Clascal, Rascal, Smalltalk and Mac App, etc...)  The NeXT
machine took object oriented computing to new heights, but
I don't think you'll see Apple "rolling over abd playing dead" on this issue.
And as for C++, you *can* buy it today from APDA.  Yes, most of
it did come from AT&T, but what about standards? :-)

We could discuss these things forever, but I'm getting tired and
must turn in for some shuteye.  I encourage you to keep making
suggestions for change, because the users are the best feedback,
not those of us who build them.  Happy Holidays...

-- 
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