CompuServe Messages

Robert, If you read my message I did say that programmers should shoulder some of the blame. However, if I can throw a metaphor at you, Commodore (from the off) sailed a wayward ship. They failed to give the HMS Amiga much direction (except a very general one) or offer it much discipline. At Apple, when Steve Jobs was developing the MAC with his team, he convinced several developers that the MAC was worth developing for (well before the machine was launched). He then hovered in the background making sure that the software attained a uniform look and feel, followed the MAC guidlines and so on. To reign-in adventurous programmers, the MAC team included over 500 features, burned into the Apple chips. These were features that programmers, themselves, would normally develop. Hence, with this new computer, these programmers found no need to create their own tricks to aid development. An important time to offer close support. Why? Well, when the MAC was launched the majority of MAC programmers found no great need to adopt a wayward programming stance (sure it happened later but the majority had already been `house-trained' creating a neat knock-on effect along with Apple's aura (or hype) of a new religion in computers. Rousing stuff). This sort of enthusiasm just didn't occur with the Commodore. Hence the ever-present problems with illegal programs. Let's face it the MAC was the `Gospel according to Jobs', the Amiga was a business proposition for Commodore. I stand by my statement. Commodore could (should) have done a lot more before initial release. It would have increased a uniform look and feel and lowered the rebel element in the programmer's union. Paul