Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!bu-cs!dartvax!eleazar.dartmouth.edu!merchant
From: merchant@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Peter Merchant)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: System 8.0: no more DA's.
Message-ID: <11426@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU>
Date: 9 Dec 88 15:02:39 GMT
References: <552@unocss.UUCP>
Sender: news@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU
Reply-To: Peter.G.Merchant@dartmouth.edu (Peter Merchant)
Organization: U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, NY
Lines: 40

In article <552@unocss.UUCP> dent@unocss.UUCP (Dave Caplinger) writes:
>If the December 6th MacWEEK is correct (specifically, Mac the Knife),
>then there will be no more Desk Accessories, starting with System 8.0
>
>Sure, I can see the point; multitasking removes the need for them.  But,
>what are they going to do with Control Panel, and the many many CDEV
>files lying around?  (And while (some of us) are talking about improvements
>does anyone else feel that the current Control Panel scheme of "throw the
>file in the System Folder and it works" is a little kludgy?  I have so many
>files in my system folder that I can't see them all on an SE's screen.

They'll probably turn the control panel into an application.  In fact, it
might work out for the best because CDEVs could be put in a folder and
accessed through the File menu of the application.

Here's a request, though, for a way to deal with desk accessories.  It would
be really keen if there were some way to, on system start up, put a collection
of applications onto your Apple menu without necessarily starting them up.
This would give me the same thing as a desk accessory.

One of the features of a desk accessory under MultiFinder is that it's
conveniently there.  If I'm talking to someone and I need a phone number, I go
to the Apple menu and choose Phone Book and, within a few seconds, I have my
phone book.  I don't have to go to the Apple menu and choose Finder, then open
the particular folder with DA-like applications, then start the paricular
application.  Try doing all that while you're on the phone with someone.

One feature that (GASP!) Microsoft Windows has is the ability to take
applications and put them down on the icon bar down at the bottom of the
screen.  This gives you immediate access.  The only grumble I have with it is
that I believe that those applications are considered "running" and,
therefore, eating precious memory.  Some way to say "I want to be able to
start this application and leave this application and all I should have to do
is choose it's name from a menu to do it" would be nice...

...At least, I think it'd be nice.
---
"Cover me,                             Peter Merchant (merchant@eleazar.UUCP)
 Comfort me,                                 (Peter.G.Merchant@dartmouth.EDU)
 Hold me..."