newbie response

[Richard Gaskin]

Lorin Rivers writes:

>> Perhaps the biggest obstacle to being considered a "real" programming
>> language is simply marketing.  In spite of the beauty and power of HyperTalk
>> and its subsequent influence on the industry (it was the inspiration for
>> Visual Basic, which was first prototyped on a Mac using SuperCard), Apple
>> dropped the ball and botched a golden opportunity.  Microsoft's investment
>> in VB shows how it could have been for Apple:  strong investment in
>> evangelizing an OS-specific high-level programming system guarantees rapid
>> proliferation of apps for that OS.
> 
> That's possible. Apple is a highly rational organization (just because an
> observer disagrees or fails to understand the reasons for their decisions is
> does not make Apple irrational). If they thought HyperCard was going to make
> more money than whatever else they could do with those resources, they'd be
> all over it.

Rationality does not preclude error, and no human organizatioin is purely
rational. Those who've been unable to avoid being in the elevator alone with
Jobs may have a different view.

One of the rare mistakes Apple was willing to label as such was being the
last major manufacturer to include CDR in their machines.  There are others.
Sometimes they are called "features". ;)

>> RealBASIC enjoys a perception of viability
> 
> REALbasic enjoys viability because our users get benefit from it.

It's not about the product.  Or at least, not the product alone.  Viability
perception is driven by a much larger context, as Moore describes.

>> not entirely of their own making:
>> by riding on the coattails of Microsoft's unmatched investment in
>> popularizing VB,
> 
> This is an interesting theory, but most of our popularity has nothing to do
> with VB and everything to do with our users' success.

Of course your users success in shipping Mac and sometimes Windows apps
cannot be discounted.  But you've read Moore, you understand that there are
many other factors at play.

>> Meanwhile, if you look past the marketing
> 
> The implication is that our marketing is untruthful. It's not.

I did not imply that the marketing was in any way untruthful.  I meant only
what I wrote.

>> and focus on results, on what a
>> tool lets you deliver relative to your effort, as you've discovered
>> Revolution provides a very strong return on investment.
> 
> People should certainly use what works for them! Don't take anyone else's
> word for it either, check it out for yourself!

Amen.

BTW: Good to see you here.  I've enjoyed your posts in alt.hackintosh and
the like.  Man, what an uphill battle piracy is.

-- 
 Richard Gaskin 
 Fourth World Media Corporation
 Custom Software and Web Development for All Major Platforms
 Developer of WebMerge 2.0: Publish any Database on Any Site
 ___________________________________________________________
 Ambassador at FourthWorld.com       http://www.FourthWorld.com
 Tel: 323-225-3717                       AIM: FourthWorldInc