So bundle Runtime Revolution with PCs. Linux too. I mentioned Macs because Apple, given its HyperCard past, might be open to the suggestion.
Given how I use RR, I'd love to see it bundled with computers bought by schools. But, as with HC, RR will prove to be of interest to others outside education as well. Educational discounts are already offered by the company, so the issue is more exposure than anything else. Bundling RR with any OS will only increase its exposure. Hence the suggestion.
(Not sure what you mean by the "high road to the ghetto", so I won't respond to that part.)
One of HyperCard's successors is Runtime Revolution; I call it "HyperCard on steroids". RR has all the functionality of HyperCard and then some! It runs on Mac, Windows, Linux, and can compile standalone apps for Mac (X and classic), Windows, Linux.
I use Runtime Revolution to teach middle school kids how to program, much as I used HyperCard a decade ago. The kids don't think it's a "real" programming environment because it isn't painfully hard to use; the syntax is too easy. Compare, for example, the programming needed to increment a variable called score in various languages:
> score++;
> score+=1;
> score = score + 1;
> score:= score + 1;
> score = score + 1
> (add score 1)
and in Revolution:
> add 1 to score
My students are up and running, creating event-driven, multi-threaded apps with beautiful user interfaces in very little time. And they don't think this is a "real" programming language? Maybe that's why HyperCard never caught on: it was too easy.
Lots of folks discovered programming through HyperCard for two reasons: it was easy, and it was free. Runtime Revolution has a fairly gentle learning curve, but it's not free. That could be why it's not more popular. Apple may not be interesting in bundling it with new computers because they don't stand to make any money off it. The folks at RunRev may not be interested in creating a (limited) free version to bundle with Macs because they won't make money off of it. But, gee, I wish they would!
Slashdot Mirror
So bundle Runtime Revolution with PCs. Linux too. I mentioned Macs because Apple, given its HyperCard past, might be open to the suggestion.
Given how I use RR, I'd love to see it bundled with computers bought by schools. But, as with HC, RR will prove to be of interest to others outside education as well. Educational discounts are already offered by the company, so the issue is more exposure than anything else. Bundling RR with any OS will only increase its exposure. Hence the suggestion.
(Not sure what you mean by the "high road to the ghetto", so I won't respond to that part.)
One of HyperCard's successors is Runtime Revolution; I call it "HyperCard on steroids". RR has all the functionality of HyperCard and then some! It runs on Mac, Windows, Linux, and can compile standalone apps for Mac (X and classic), Windows, Linux.
I use Runtime Revolution to teach middle school kids how to program, much as I used HyperCard a decade ago. The kids don't think it's a "real" programming environment because it isn't painfully hard to use; the syntax is too easy. Compare, for example, the programming needed to increment a variable called score in various languages: := score + 1;
> score++;
> score+=1;
> score = score + 1;
> score
> score = score + 1
> (add score 1)
and in Revolution:
> add 1 to score
My students are up and running, creating event-driven, multi-threaded apps with beautiful user interfaces in very little time. And they don't think this is a "real" programming language? Maybe that's why HyperCard never caught on: it was too easy.
Lots of folks discovered programming through HyperCard for two reasons: it was easy, and it was free. Runtime Revolution has a fairly gentle learning curve, but it's not free. That could be why it's not more popular. Apple may not be interesting in bundling it with new computers because they don't stand to make any money off it. The folks at RunRev may not be interested in creating a (limited) free version to bundle with Macs because they won't make money off of it. But, gee, I wish they would!