Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ncrlnk!ncrcae!ece-csc!ncsuvx!gatech!bloom-beacon!bu-cs!mirror!mguyott
From: mguyott@mirror.TMC.COM (Marc Guyott)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.misc
Subject: Re: Questions Re MS-Windows Dev Cost
Message-ID: <18185@mirror.TMC.COM>
Date: 22 Sep 88 15:59:32 GMT
References: <8520002@hp-lsd.HP.COM>
Reply-To: mguyott@prism.TMC.COM (Marc Guyott)
Organization: Mirror Systems, Cambridge Mass.
Lines: 53

In article <8520002@hp-lsd.HP.COM> davek@hp-lsd.HP.COM (Dave Kumpf) writes:
>I have some (maybe stupid) questions regarding MS-windows development.
>I'd like to play around with the MS-Windows environment, but the cost seems
>ridiculous. (mail order -- $300 for MS-C, $350 for Windows SDK, $75 to 
>upgrade my Windows from 1.03 to 2.01 ...) 
>

Wait and purchase the 2.1 SDK.  This SDK comes with a version of CodeView
that will work with Windows.  I am a registered owner of a 2.01 SDK and I
recieved my official upgrade notice from Microsoft on the 9th of September.
If you acquired your 2.03 SDK before June 1, 1988 there is a $30.00 upgrade
fee.  I have called Microsoft and I am told it is possible to upgrade the
1.03 SDK to 2.1 for $100.00.

>
>1) Why is MS-C required?
>

Probably to supply the CodeView support for debugging.

>It seems to me (not knowing enough about C) that
>if you have a linker that understands the Windows LIB and  if your compiler
>supports PASCAL calling sequences, you should be able to use that C 
>compiler.  (Or does Windows depend on what the compiler does with registers?)
>

I would be curious to know what the answer to this question is.

>
>2) Does anyone have a Windows environment clone (public domain/shareware
>or outright purchase) that is reasonably priced? Is anyone working on such
>a clone? Borland!!? (Or are they really endorsing Open Look?)
>

I have heard that there is a product available called "Actor" that is supposed
to make Windows development easier.  I have never used or seen it but a few of
my friends use it and they swear by it.

>
>3) If MS products are really the only alternative -- are there          
>academic/student versions that are cheaper? 
>

Check out "Actor".

                                                Marc
----
       ... I never saw the morning until I stayed up all night ...
                               Tom Waits

Marc Guyott                                         mguyott@mirror.TMC.COM
{mit-eddie, pyramid, harvard!wjh12, xait, datacube}!mirror!mguyott
Mirror Systems	Cambridge, MA  02140                617/661-0777