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From: wb1j+@andrew.cmu.edu (William M. Bumgarner)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hypercard
Subject: Re: Look out Hypercard, its Supercard!
Message-ID: <4XbYbAy00UgXEIz1Nn@andrew.cmu.edu>
Date: 8 Dec 88 09:22:20 GMT
Organization: Carnegie Mellon
Lines: 23

Apple's policy on quite a few software products (MacDraw/Write/Paint) was
to release an application that set an example to be built upon.  By
keeping prices high, and releasing products that set a standard, but not
a maximum-functionality-limit, Apple seeds the market for third-party
developer's.  Remember the fanfare w/the introduction of FullPaint; not
very much of FullPaint was original-- it was simply an extension on MacPaint.

Apple may be taking a similar stance with Hypercard; release a product that
provides a base by which all other in that class are measured. BUT update
it slowly to encourage the third party developers.  I'm sure Apple could
have done a proper job with printing in one of the first set of updates...
but that would have destroyed the market for Reports and others.  Also,
the stacks released with Hypercard (Address, Notes, Clip Art, etc..) are
extremely limited.  By releasing limited stacks, it gives developer's
ideas to build on and _a_lot_ of room to go... look at Organizer+; it's
basic idea is found in the stacks that Apple released with Hypercard.
ClipArt+ is the same way; The Clip Art stack that was originally released
was a great idea that was horribly executed... ClipArt+ takes that idea
and executes it in such away that it is very usable. On top of that,
it also adds extra functionality.

b.bum
wb1j+@andrew.cmu.edu