I bet they were so pleased to discover that they asked you for ASP and you wrote it in PerlScript. It was probably a blind assumption of theirs that you would use VBScript, but even so... if you did that to me your services would not be required again.
That's not say I like VBScript - in fact, I cannot believe anyone would design a language as poor after all the decades of research into good syntax.
With C#/Db, M$ realised that Java was popular with progrmamers and basically sought to copy the syntax. That's not to there haven't been Java-like languages, but the two are often indistinguishable from each other.
I just can't wait for MS people to disregard Java's role in the making C# by remarking they've never seen such a well-designed language (and so much faster than Java too, so who cares about the other OSes?)
There's already a version of IE from Solaris, so if anything's going to be easy to port from, it's that! But Microsoft will be the last company to give any kind of Linux support for purely strategic reasons.
Personally, I want to see developers develop Cocoa OS X applications with Java. From there they can turn these into pure Java apps for other operating systems. Borland JBuilder has completely restored my faith in Java and I'm looking forward to its OS X release.
"very CLI instance of any type of application that I have ever used did NOT leave out important features and did NOT force me to become a member of that developer's design religion"
So I'm guessing you're NOT a graphic designer. Or in the music industry. Or any kind of film or animation. Or DTP. Or any business which involves documents or presentations.
You're some kind of system administrator, right?
If only everyone had the same job and same interests as you, there'd be no need for GUIs. Or art galleries or record shops or television or sunlight. Anything really that distracts us from the miles and miles of unceasingly identical text.
Chris
What surprises me is that Raskin should criticise OS X's interface while praising Unix. Just when people were saying 'atlast a Unix that's easy to use'!
If you want a model of ease of use, it sure as hell isn't Unix or Linux. Start a program with a few keystrokes - Like 'cp', 'grep', 'chmod'.. That's really intuitive! Surely the fact that people need to be trained to use Unix defeats what he's trying to achieve.
But he'd just say "that's not what I meant! read my book!" Great, but don't treat me like an idiot just because I haven't researched your life.
I am surprised that computers haven't evolved more than they have, but I don't think we'll see a major shift forward until Microsoft or Apple have refined everything they can refine in their OSes, and there's still a lot of little jobs to do.
I'd like to see a next-generation Shell - with intuitive commands, natural language, maybe a mixture of icons and words if you want. If only text-adventures hadn't lost their popularity, there would be greater awareness of what can be achieved with parsers. I'd like to be able to 'cd' through applications -eg. "cd word", "cd inserts", "insert date & " - " & time".
I haven't read Raskins' book. I know his work at Apple from reading 'Infinite Loop'. I have no idea what he's talking about. But I think I'm still capable of being a little visionary.
If MS didn't see Linux or Solaris as a threat, and hadn't got a deal with them - IE as the default browser in exchange for Office:Mac - then things might be different.
It's been agreed that OS X won't take users from Linux unless there were to be an x86 version, which isn't likely. It would be interesting to see Apple release MacOS X Server for Intel, though - pricing hasn't been fixed but it's likely to be comfortably out of reach of most users.
The important thing is to win companies away from NT. If Apple continue to expand their server software so that the GUI configuration is as comprehensive as NT's Administrative Tools (whilst being based on open-source technologies) then Apple would earn some serious respect.
Apple doing Intel has always been the biggest gamble in the computer industry, but the next two years are the best opportunity they'll have.
How long ago was it I had to put one of these idiots down? About a day?
A 3-button mouse costs $30. OS X supports it, Linux supports it.
Buy a f----g mouse!
And Mac owners are meant to be stupid!
I'm getting really sick of all this moaning about Apple charging for OS X Public Beta. It's good to have your principles, but keep a sense of scale will you? Apple have been trying for 10 years to replace MacOS with something a little bit more modern. 10 years! Now they have something that really works. And you begrudge them a few lousy quid because - oh yes - they're all capitalist bastards... 8-)
So please, please shut up. This is a momentous moment in computing, which isn't remarkably cheap all things considered. Ok - we thought we'd have 3D working environments by now, but as the classic 2D interface paradigm goes, this is the pinnacle of its development. The best operating system in the world today and then some. It's worth the cash...
What I find more of a nerve is that Linux vendors can charge almost the same amount of money without adding any significant level of code to what is supposed to be a free product. And if we want to use MacOS X as a measure of Beta status, then please tell me when Linux reaches pre-Alpha and I'll be happy to fork out that cash.
With MacOS X, I also don't have to wait 6 weeks for them even to ship my CD to me, have my e-mails completely ignored, and get no apology, like I did with Linux PPC Inc... (just thought I'd slip that in because I'm still pissed off with that useless organisation). Apple - and I was a little wary because they don't have a great reputation for customer service - shipped it in just 2 days. That makes me very happy.
Slashdot Mirror
I bet they were so pleased to discover that they asked you for ASP and you wrote it in PerlScript. It was probably a blind assumption of theirs that you would use VBScript, but even so... if you did that to me your services would not be required again.
That's not say I like VBScript - in fact, I cannot believe anyone would design a language as poor after all the decades of research into good syntax.
With C#/Db, M$ realised that Java was popular with progrmamers and basically sought to copy the syntax. That's not to there haven't been Java-like languages, but the two are often indistinguishable from each other.
I just can't wait for MS people to disregard Java's role in the making C# by remarking they've never seen such a well-designed language (and so much faster than Java too, so who cares about the other OSes?)
Chris
There's already a version of IE from Solaris, so if anything's going to be easy to port from, it's that! But Microsoft will be the last company to give any kind of Linux support for purely strategic reasons.
Personally, I want to see developers develop Cocoa OS X applications with Java. From there they can turn these into pure Java apps for other operating systems. Borland JBuilder has completely restored my faith in Java and I'm looking forward to its OS X release.
Chris
"very CLI instance of any type of application that I have ever used did NOT leave out important features and did NOT force me to become a member of that developer's design religion" So I'm guessing you're NOT a graphic designer. Or in the music industry. Or any kind of film or animation. Or DTP. Or any business which involves documents or presentations. You're some kind of system administrator, right? If only everyone had the same job and same interests as you, there'd be no need for GUIs. Or art galleries or record shops or television or sunlight. Anything really that distracts us from the miles and miles of unceasingly identical text. Chris
Honestly, this is one of the saddest posts I've ever read, and it gets Score:4?
Surely you're talents could be better spent than this tenuous crap.
What surprises me is that Raskin should criticise OS X's interface while praising Unix. Just when people were saying 'atlast a Unix that's easy to use'!
If you want a model of ease of use, it sure as hell isn't Unix or Linux. Start a program with a few keystrokes - Like 'cp', 'grep', 'chmod'.. That's really intuitive! Surely the fact that people need to be trained to use Unix defeats what he's trying to achieve.
But he'd just say "that's not what I meant! read my book!" Great, but don't treat me like an idiot just because I haven't researched your life.
I am surprised that computers haven't evolved more than they have, but I don't think we'll see a major shift forward until Microsoft or Apple have refined everything they can refine in their OSes, and there's still a lot of little jobs to do.
I'd like to see a next-generation Shell - with intuitive commands, natural language, maybe a mixture of icons and words if you want. If only text-adventures hadn't lost their popularity, there would be greater awareness of what can be achieved with parsers. I'd like to be able to 'cd' through applications -eg. "cd word", "cd inserts", "insert date & " - " & time".
I haven't read Raskins' book. I know his work at Apple from reading 'Infinite Loop'. I have no idea what he's talking about. But I think I'm still capable of being a little visionary.
Chris
Forever would be my hunch.
If MS didn't see Linux or Solaris as a threat, and hadn't got a deal with them - IE as the default browser in exchange for Office:Mac - then things might be different.
As it is, no way.
Chris
It's been agreed that OS X won't take users from Linux unless there were to be an x86 version, which isn't likely. It would be interesting to see Apple release MacOS X Server for Intel, though - pricing hasn't been fixed but it's likely to be comfortably out of reach of most users.
The important thing is to win companies away from NT. If Apple continue to expand their server software so that the GUI configuration is as comprehensive as NT's Administrative Tools (whilst being based on open-source technologies) then Apple would earn some serious respect.
Apple doing Intel has always been the biggest gamble in the computer industry, but the next two years are the best opportunity they'll have.
Chris
How long ago was it I had to put one of these idiots down? About a day? A 3-button mouse costs $30. OS X supports it, Linux supports it. Buy a f----g mouse! And Mac owners are meant to be stupid!
Playing devil's advocate? I'm too much of a sucker to resist though...
MacOS X is vaporware how? I run it at home and I don't think I'm dreaming, the release date is March 11 and I don't think Apple are lying (this time).
I'll leave the Linux bods to whether Linux is bloatware or not..
Chris
I'm getting really sick of all this moaning about Apple charging for OS X Public Beta. It's good to have your principles, but keep a sense of scale will you? Apple have been trying for 10 years to replace MacOS with something a little bit more modern. 10 years! Now they have something that really works. And you begrudge them a few lousy quid because - oh yes - they're all capitalist bastards... 8-)
So please, please shut up. This is a momentous moment in computing, which isn't remarkably cheap all things considered. Ok - we thought we'd have 3D working environments by now, but as the classic 2D interface paradigm goes, this is the pinnacle of its development. The best operating system in the world today and then some. It's worth the cash...
What I find more of a nerve is that Linux vendors can charge almost the same amount of money without adding any significant level of code to what is supposed to be a free product. And if we want to use MacOS X as a measure of Beta status, then please tell me when Linux reaches pre-Alpha and I'll be happy to fork out that cash.
With MacOS X, I also don't have to wait 6 weeks for them even to ship my CD to me, have my e-mails completely ignored, and get no apology, like I did with Linux PPC Inc... (just thought I'd slip that in because I'm still pissed off with that useless organisation). Apple - and I was a little wary because they don't have a great reputation for customer service - shipped it in just 2 days. That makes me very happy.
Clebin