Re: Mike and Ward, what next?

In article <uce-FC269B.07001508062005@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
 Gregory Weston <uce@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:

> In article <1gxs2w0.s0hg7y1psanp4N%ward@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
>  ward@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 (ward mcfarland) wrote:

> > QuickRing
> 
> Nope. Never even heard of that name.
from a quick Google
http://www.worldhistory.com/wiki/Q/QuickRing.htm
"
QuickRing was a gigabit-rate interconnect that combined the functions of 
a computer bus and a network. It was originally designed at Apple 
Computer as a multimedia system to run "on top" of existing local bus 
systems inside a computer ..."

> 
> 
> > QuickDrawGX
> > OpenDoc (don't get me started on that one)
> 
> I recall both of those very well. What I recall is that Apple spent 
> _years_ hawking them and got virtually no interest from developers or 
> users.

I can give you at least two major Apple screwups with these technologies:
1) QuickDrawGX was an OPTIONAL install with significant memory overhead. 
By making it optional and AFAIK off by default, it didn't make it into 
the installed base iin sufficient numbers.

2) OpenDoc ****pped without any complete developer tools beyond the C API 
because the core development team didn't believe (*) in OO frameworks 
and they weren't a priority. This at a time when MacApp, TCL & 
PowerPlant were dominating app development. 

3) Furthermore, Apple didn't come out with a clear business strategy for 
how developers could make use of OpenDoc and failed to push into the 
business market where it would have been most useful.

The final nail in OpenDoc's coffin, I think, was the disastrous 
Novell/Wordperfect takeover as they were a major OD developer tasked 
with the Windows side.

(*) I was doing a major cross-platform tool options consultancy at the 
time and went on the OpenDoc programming course to help make my mind up.
The above info comes from the presenter.

-- 
Andy Dent BSc  MACS
OOFILE - Cross-Platform Database, Re****ts, Graphs, GUI in C++
PP2MFC - PowerPlant->MFC ****tability
http://www.oofile.com.au/