Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!snorkelwacker!apple!austing
From: austing@Apple.COM (Glenn L. Austin)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: Communications Toolbox questions
Message-ID: <37369@apple.Apple.COM>
Date: 18 Dec 89 22:24:02 GMT
References: <3352@hub.UUCP>
Organization: Apple Computer Inc, Cupertino, CA
Lines: 37

In article <3352@hub.UUCP> 6500stom@hub.UUCP writes:
>>>The Comm Toolbox looks like a marvelous effort, but its metaphors seem to
>>>break down more and more the farther your get from a serial line...
>> 
>> Yes, it looks like it should be called the "Modem Toolbox" as it stands
>> now.  It simply won't work for LAN functions.  Maybe the solution is
>> for Apple to hire you and me to bring it up to spec for TCP/IP....
>
>I agree entirely.  Apple should have written an External Comm Mgr that
>encompassed all of AppleTalk, serial ports and any other cards that
>might be installed.  They obviously didn't think the Comm Mgr project
>through very well and as a result we're going to have lots of hacks
>floating around that bipass the weaknesses of the Comm Mgr.

You're missing two points -- (1) external serial ports are supported,
(2) to support external serial ports for AppleTalk would require a major
effort from both the serial port manufacturers and the AppleTalk group.

>The big missing features are background file x-fers, serial port
>allocation and better support for non-modem stuff.

There is *EXCELLENT* support for serial port allocation and acceptable support
for non-serial connections.  If people are expecting that the CTB can do
specialized work that previously required an entire application to accomplish,
they will be disappointed.  The CTB is basically like the Device Manager - 
smart enough to deal with different "devices", but too low-level to maintain
database structures.

-- 
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| Glenn L. Austin               | "Have you ever danced with the devil in   | 
| Communications Toolbox Hacker |  in the pale moonlight?" -The Joker       |
| Apple Computer, Inc.          | "You made me!" -Batman                    | 
| Internet:   austing@apple.com |-------------------------------------------|
| AppleLink:  AUSTIN.GLENN      | All opinions stated above are mine --     |
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