Engelbart and Kay --was: Back to the Future with Hypercard

[Phil Davis]

Amen Bill! There's a basic "family" similarity between HC and Rev, but 
IMHO Rev leaves HC in the dust on every level.
Phil Davis


Bill Marriott wrote:
> I recall when HyperCard was new and it was an exciting time for certain. The 
> video certainly brings back fond memories.
>
> Randall Lee Reetz wrote...
>   
>> I keep thinking we are way over due building for today what
>> hypercard was twenty years ago.  I dont thing color and
>> multi-platform quite measure up to the challange.
>>     
>
> What about
>
> - Easy and powerful Internet functionality
> - Ability to command a variety of multimedia
> - Object-oriented graphics
> - XML support
> - Arrays
> - Encryption
> - Greatly enhanced speed of execution
> - Flexible groups
> - Regular expressions
> - Inline graphics in fields
> - Database/SQL support
> - Additional chunk expressions
> - Alpha mode blending and window shapes
> - Custom properties and property profiles
> - Multi-statement message box
> - Built-in objects like progress bars, tab controls and sliders
> - Tables
> - High-quality visual effects
> - Unicode support
> - Easy-to-use Geometry Manager
> - Ability to run as CGI on web servers
> - Referenced controls
> - Enhanced debugging
>
> Just to name a few innovations in Revolution off the top of my head. That's 
> quite an evolution of the original dream! There's probably a lot more that I 
> take for granted just because I haven't worked seriously with HyperCard in 
> some time. Give credit where it's due!
>
> Does Revolution have the same, "your six-year-old can write a stack" elan 
> the HyperCard did? Probably not, but I think that is due to a variety of 
> factors:
>
> - The included stacks in HyperCard like clip art and stack ideas. This kind 
> of content could surely be created in Revolution, but there doesn't seem to 
> be much of a demand for it.
>
> - The vastly more complicated computing environments of today's operating 
> systems. HyperCard could more easily exploit the full power of the Apple 
> Macintosh of the day, because the domain was much smaller. (And there *was* 
> color back then; HyperCard just punted on it.)
>
> - The market need for a more professional rapid development tool based on 
> xTalk. (As opposed to an alternative to BASIC for learning how to program 
> computers.)
>
> - Education refocusing on Office- and application-based learning, when back 
> then there was still an interest in exposing high school students to 
> programming.
>
> - Dramatically enhanced external illustration programs that obviate the need 
> for things like the lasso and spray can tools. (HyperCard was popular in 
> part because it was a greatly enhanced successor to MacPaint.)
>
> - Ubiquity of HyperCard on Macintosh. The only thing that comes close to 
> that today is HTML and the Web. (Which of course, HyperCard inspired.)
>
> - Desire for Revolution to be as similar to, and compatible with, HyperCard 
> as possible. For example, I almost never use cards anymore. I find myself 
> using a different paradigm when creating my solutions. I'm much more likely 
> to use multiple windows and substacks (oops, another huge item for the list 
> above). It may well be the case that further departing from the HyperCard 
> metaphor will be necessary for the next great leap forward. After all, 
> HyperCard itself was a break with previous metaphors.
>
> And a final note... I don't think the multi-platform capability is anything 
> to sneeze at. It's a non-trivial undertaking and ensures that almost 
> everyone can enjoy the benefits of Revolution and the amazing xTalk 
> language, instead of just those who use Macs.
>
> - Bill, RunRev marketing guy 
>
>
>
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