#Y U Would Want Royal
6 messages in this thread
Thom:
The whole idea of contacting font foundries last year for input and
releasing Royal specs last May was to have a fairly sizable font library
ready to go when System 7 is released.
I'd say you will see Lino, Bitstream et al. ready with Royals as soon as
Apple is set with the new software (late second quarter of '90?). Those, of
course, will probably only include an outline font similar in
characteristic with the current PostScript fonts. Royals using the more
advanced features outlined in the specs (like optical scaling) will
probably not show up until the Royals build a significant market share and
who knows how long that might take? I think the big initial question is
whether Apple will cooperate with Adobe to get ATM to work on System 7. A
lot of us are already used to the higher quality in font screen
representation — if the PostScript fonts have to go back to the bimaps
because Apple torpedos ATM and the Royals look as good or better than ATM
rendered PS fonts, that might force many to use Altsys' Metamorphisis to
convert their PS fonts to Royal and speed Royal market penetration.
Anyone have any idea when Microsoft's Presentation Manager will be released
with Royal support? That will obviously play a big factor as well.
–jon
Jon,
The latest Seybold Report on Desktop Publishing arrived this week. In a
long preview of System 7, it indicated that Apple had come to the
realization that it had to make System 7 ATM-compatible. I think they've
had too many major publishing and corporate users with large investments in
Adobe PostScript fonts beating on their doors to try to lock ATM out.
^Steve^
Finally, a bit of good news! I was beginning to wonder if I should bother
upgrading (whenever the fabled upgrade might appear).
Steve:
Good news, indeed. I'll have to swipe the boss' copy of Seybold when he's
not looking.
I was talking to members of my local Mac users' group this weekend and one
compatibility with System 7, not from any altruistic rationale, but because
Apple felt if they didn't have ATM working that many people would delay
installing System 7 software until their "core" programs forced the to do
so. Obviously, Apple wants people to get on the System 7 bandwagon as soon
as possible (although everyone in the users' group seems agreed that other
than playing around, no one is installing System 7 until at least the 7.03
level).
Whatever the reason, I'm glad that Apple has come around.
–jon
Jonathan,
System 7 will stay on one Mac in our shop (not in production) until it
works with ATM, Suitcase, and most of the apps we most commonly output. I'm
sure it'll be a few months after introduction before that comes about.
We'll probably install it on one Mac for staff training purposes.
^Steve^
Steve:
I think we'll be doing pretty much the same thing. I'll lurk around
MACPRODUCT and MACDEV for several weeks before I'll use it in a production
setting — I want to know as many of the pitfalls from someone else's
experience as possible.
Many of the System 7 features I was most interested in won't be included in
the initial release anyhow, so it won't bother me not to be the first kid
on the block with System 7 up and running.
–jon