Hypercard: the missing link to the web

[Kay C Lan]

Peter,

I like your prior comments but I have to disagree with this:

>
> The problem with Hypercard, and what led to its demise, was fundamentally
> that it was not free.


I also don't understand this:


>  The thing that killed it was a dog in the manger approach to things.
>
> Unless you are talking about Steve's management style.

My understanding of the situation was quite simple, Steve returned to
Apple, decided they needed to focus on 4 things, and if Steve was good at
anything, it was focus. HyperCard was not in that focus, so it was turfed,
it wouldn't have mattered if someone showed him how to turn desktop lead
into internet gold, it wasn't in his focus, and therefore would never be.
My understanding of Steve is that he could become so focused that he could
easily lie through his teeth; which I understand is exactly what he did
with regards to where HyperCard was headed.

People would have happily contiuned paying for HyperCard, it may have never
reached it's full potential, other happenings may have overtaken it, and
they did, but it certainly wasn't price that was it's demise - if it were
then we all wouldn't be here paying for LC.