I had written:
>>MetaCard should be pitched as a tool that is easy for beginners but will be
>>able to keep you happy as you grow in ability. Many of us ex-HyperCard
>>users would still be using it if we hadn't hit the wall with it's
>>limitations (and there were many.)
And Simon wrote:
>You lost me, HC limitations or MC's? What do you use it for? Don't
>say database and QuickTime...that's become the default response.
>Valid mind you, but it would be good to know more - that way it helps
>Scott.
I was referring to HyperCard's inability to do a multitude of things, which
causes what many call the "HyperCard Wall"... you say, "Gee, I could make
this cool software if only HyperCard could do this, this, and this..." And
you go out and get externals to compensate for what HyperCard couldn't do.
I have yet to use an external with MetaCard. Doesn't mean I never will, but
means I haven't had to yet!
I think that calling iMovie a hack of Final Cut Pro which was bought from
another company sells iMovie short. It's not like they just took Final Cut
Pro and removed half the menus. While iMovie uses much of the same code,
its user interface was carefully designed to appeal to novice users, to be
easy to learn, and to be powerful. Despite the origin of it's code, it's an
example of a great application. The same argument could be said about OS X,
that Apple just took BSD UNIX and slapped a pretty face (GUI) on it, but no
one yet has done a great GUI for UNIX (at least not the ones I'VE looked at
via Linux... some of that stuff makes Windows look good!) Apple is the
first.
But I'm arguing over nothing here, so I'll stop.
I sort of suspect that we're both wrong. I think that lowering MetaCard's
price will NOT result in HyperCard users bolting to MetaCard, whether it's a
permanent price drop or a temporary one. Those who would switch may have
switched already, as in maybe the handful of top notch HyperCard
programmers... your way would definitely be less expensive, this is true.
I guess it'd be better to try your way to see what happens...
:)
Richard MacLemale
Instructional Technology Specialist
James W. Mitchell High School
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