🚀 go-pugleaf

Date:  4 May 1984 18:17:57 EDT (Friday)
From: Dick Kalagher <uw-beaver!kalagher@mitre>
Subject: Re: MacAssembler requires * 2 * Macs!?
In-Reply-To: Your message of 3 May 84 16:41:36 EDT
To: Ron <FISCHER@RUTGERS.ARPA>
Cc: info-mac@sumex-aim, erik@sri-ai, kalagher@mitre

I remember reading someplace that one of the major reasons Texas Instruments
failed with the 99/4 was that they "correctly concluded that the hobbiests
and hackers were a small part of their customer base, but incorrectly
concluded that therefore they were unimportant"


Perhaps Apple can survive with software from the big houses.  But don't
forget, Apple, that the hackers (I use this term in the positive sense)
are the ones giving advice to others on what computer to buy.  They also
run users groups, write books and magazines articles, and develop
much public domain software for free.  Don't forget that it was software
availability that made the Apple II so popular-- and it wasn't 1-2-3
and Wordstar.

So what am I leading up to?  Well, I love my Mac and I can't wait to program
it.  First I find out that not only is MS-BASIC a dog, but I can only
use 10-15 percent of the memory.  Than I hear that PASCAL is really only
meant for learning and is definately not for software development.  FORTH
might be OK once the bugs are out, but you need a licence to distribute
software.  So I rest my hopes on the assembler.  But now I hear it
will take TWO MACS!!  

Come on Apple.  You designed a great machine.  Don't blow it by playing
games with your best free advertizing media.  I'm sure if you try
you can develop an assembler (or PASCAL compiler) that can run on one
MAC.

Dick Kalagher