🚀 go-pugleaf

I would like to make a few comments regarding the MM/1, it's software,
it's past, it's present, and it's future.

IMS can be blamed for a lot now, but to be honest, they did a terrific
job selling a great machine, and had they not had production delays,
problems, etc., all of us would have benefited from their amazing
marketing skills.  This is not to say they didn't make some outrageous
claims (like a Microsoft QuickBasic port), but a certain amount of hype
was needed and justified.

The MM/1 is a great computer.  I love it.  Even knowing what I know now,
I would still have bought my MM/1.  It has a lot of great features, many
of which have yet to be tapped by software.  A lot of people have
blamed Paul Ward for "using" the community for his own personal gain.
That is 100% false.  It bothers me greatly when people talk about things
they know nothing about.  I've stayed in close contact with Paul Ward,
and I can tell you he's a few years in debt and has had a few personal
problems due to trying to keep the MM/1 system moving... mainly due to
the tremendous financial burden in creating, marketing, supporting a new
computer system.  He asked us what features we'd want in a computer, and
delivered to a lot of people, and made a lot of people (myself included)
happy.

As for K-Windows, Kevin Darling would never do anything to spite us.
Some of us still do maintain contact with him, but he's a rather busy
guy right now.  I don't think he has time to work on K-Windows,
especially not for free.  Keep in mind, although K-Windows isn't in a
"finished" form, it certainly is far more advanced than CoCo windows,
and a lot of the features within it are rather advanced... I know I
would certainly hate to have to sit down and write a windowing system as
advanced as K-Windows!  It would be quite a task.

David Graham has picked up the MM/1 computer... a very good move for all
us current MM/1 owners, and for future MM/1 owners.  (Yes, I believe
there will be many new future MM/1 owners.)  Why would I believe this?
Several reasons.  We have a fantastic person working on fixing up
K-Windows!!  He has my complete confidence, and I know he's taking
suggestions to heart, but keep in mind his first task is getting all the
minor bugs outta K-Windows.  As for all the complaints of how hard it is
to write K-Windows applications, this will be changing very soon.  With
lots of the little bugs being fixed by the new K-Windows programmer,
programmers will be able to predict what their programs will do <grin>.
In addition, in early 1994 I will be debuting a new product called the
K-Windows Development System, which will make programming K-Windows apps
a snap, from importing graphics images for title screens, to managing
screen gadgets, etc.  The product will greatly reduce the amount of time
it takes programmers to create new, high-quality K-Windows applications.

There are many other things in the works for the MM/1, as well.  All I
can say is just wait until Chicago CoCoFest '94, and take another look
at the MM/1... I think you'll be pleased.



  -- Joel Mathew Hegberg.

 Delphi   : JOELHEGBERG
 GEnie    : j.hegberg
 Internet : JoelHegberg@delphi.com