Bruce writes:

> I don't know what Wirt did to write incompatible programs, but I know
>  what he didn't do: follow Apple's guidelines.

[snip]

>  Wirt's reaction is a big part of the reason that companies like HP refuse
>  to publish OS internal information. No matter how big they make the
>  notice that the information may change, someone always starts to rely on
>  it, then complains when it does. For Wirt to have to continue buying Mac
>  Pluses to run his Mac software, he must be doing things like direct
>  access to hardware.

No. No. No. I've never written one bit of code for the Mac. In fact, I've
hardly ever had to even open up the case on most of our Macs. We've bought
everything, shrink-wrapped, ready to run right out of the package since 1984.
The most critical application program in question is an early version of
Ready, Set, Go!. The early versions of RSG were some of the nicest designed
applications I've ever seen. Later ones became subject to the "creeping
feature creature," becoming sluggish, cumbersome, and difficult to use.

Because all 5000 pages of our documentation and correspondence are done in
these early versions of RSG -- and later versions are non-compatible -- we
have decided to stay on Mac Plusses basically til the cows come home to roost.

However, it isn't only RSG that proved to be incompatible with newer versions
of the operating system. Better than half of our 1980's purchased applications
are that way.

Somebody screwed up -- but it wasn't Wirt. I tend to blame Apple, simply
because too many of our applications became obsolete for it all to be RSG's
fault (and becaue all of the early application developers were pretty much
forced to go through Apple's indoctrination training camp on the then-right
and proper way to write Mac software).

Wirt Atmar