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From: earleh@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Earle R. Horton)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: Hey!  What about us, Mac+ users!
Keywords: Please write to Apple.
Message-ID: <8793@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU>
Date: 5 Jun 88 22:16:24 GMT
References: <11388@apple.Apple.Com> <523@sering.cwi.nl> <55070@sun.uucp> <348@teletron.UUCP> <55442@sun.uucp> <4221@sdcc3.ucsd.EDU>
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Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!bellcore!rutgers!gatech!bloom-beacon!bu-cs!dartvax!eleazar.dartmouth.edu!earleh
From: earleh@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Earle R. Horton)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: Hey!  What about us, Mac+ users!
Keywords: Please write to Apple.
Message-ID: <8793@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU>
Date: 5 Jun 88 22:16:24 GMT
References: <11388@apple.Apple.Com> <523@sering.cwi.nl> <55070@sun.uucp> <348@teletron.UUCP> <55442@sun.uucp> <4221@sdcc3.ucsd.EDU>
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Reply-To: earleh@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Earle R. Horton)
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Lines: 64

In article <4221@sdcc3.ucsd.EDU> grobbins@ucsd.uucp writes:
>The only way to guarantee that applications function
>appropriately will be hardware-supported preemptive multitasking,
>a very unpleasant prospect for Plus and SE owners.

Yeah.  Unless Apple Computer Co. comes to its senses and realizes that
the Mac II (and Mac III and Mac IV...) is a different machine from the
68000 machines.  Then it has the options:

a)  Support a two-architecture OS which is crippled on the 68020.

b)  Support a two-architecture OS which has the best features of A/UX 
    (virtual memory, multitasking, 32-bit mode, etc.) and the best
    features of the Mac we have all come to know and love (uses mouse,
    window manager, etc.) when run on 68020 machines and which is
    "just like a Mac" on the 68000 machines.  For this to work 
    effectively, Apple will have to be tough about which areas of
    the 68020 OS are out of bounds to application developers, AND
    will have to implement those areas CORRECTLY, so there is not
    consumer demand for various patch programs to implement features
    Apple left out, like the vaporware "Keyboard Macro" desk accessory.
    A front end for A/UX that looks like MultiFinder would be a good
    start.  Price could be reduced by leaving out all the UNIX junk,
    since the Finder-like front end would be complete enough so that
    the UNIX esoterica would be unnecessary to all but hackers.  The
    thing would have to recognize HFS disks (or maybe even run on them)
    and would not require different programming techniques from the
    present Mac OS other than those required by Color QuickDraw or
    possible new features for the 68020.  For this scheme to work correctly,
    present programs which use either GetNextEvent or WaitNextEvent would
    all get a time-slice in the multi-tasking environment, and there
    should be no annoying conditional code based on what the environment is.
    The multi-tasking on 68000 machines would have to be as good as the
    68000 allows, and should accommodate those users who just don't want
    multi-tasking, i.e. could be shut off.  The 68000 version should also
    run on the Mac II, in case the user doesn't want to spring for SIMMs
    which might cost even more next year.

c)  Abandon 68000-machine owners.

The following chart is in ascending order of the parameter, i.e. the
Most () development is at the top.

Most Expensive     Most Sleazy        Most Likely to be Seen
--------------     -----------        ----------------------
     (b)               (c)                       ?
     (a)               (a)                       ?
     (c)               (b)                       ?

I don't know what's going to happen, but I for one hope the Mac Plus and SE
are around for a long, long time.  These are ideal student and intro machines,
and I happen to think they are still durn good computers for most general
use.  I also hope Apple backs off on Multi-Tasking frenzy at least until
SIMM prices go down.

The amount of obvious conviction which appears in some of these Mac newsgroup
articles prompts me to urge anyone with opinions about the future development
of the Macintosh series to write to Apple about it.  I seriously doubt that
anyone who reads this USENET junk has any more influence than you or I, but
maybe if we all write to Sculley or Gassee or somebody, we might get some
response.
*********************************************************************
*Earle R. Horton, H.B. 8000, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755   *
*********************************************************************