[net.micro.mac] Megamax Development System on MacPlusses

lewis@axiom.UUCP (Lewis Gordon Pringle Jr.) (05/15/86)

I just got my Mac upgraded, and was dissapointed to find out how
little of the Megamax software really works with MacPluses.  The batch
facility is completely useless (it doesn't know about file dates
anymore, and crashes frequenly).  All of the programs, header files,
etc, must be on MFS disks (or the root dir of HFS disks).  The editor
tends to die periodically.  When you get syntax errors compiling, it
loades the editor with the error.out file, and the offending source
file, and crashes.  (Yes I know, I shouldn't have syntax errors :-).
Of course, none of the new toolbox routines are supported.

Most of this is not so surprissing, as my version was purchased almost
a year ago.  The part I find frustrating is that that was Megamaxes
last release (or the last one I know of).  For almost that long, they
have been promissing a source level debugger (which I have heard
nothing but promises about).

Did they lose my registration card, and maybe thats why I haven't
heard of new releases ?  Did they go out of business ?  Are they just
out to lunch ?  Anybody out there know if there have been later
releases (later than 2.{0,1}b).  Does anyone know of patches, or
work-arounds for some of these problems?  Anyone know of other, more
subtle problems to be aware of (I hate finding subtle problems)?

Maybe its time to dig deep and shell out for a copy of Light-Speed C?

						Appropriate Remarks,
								Lewis.

PS: I am just waiting until I get a big enough file to compile, so
that it decides to run off and use Screen memory :-).

barnett@im4u.UUCP (Lewis Barnett) (05/17/86)

In article <240@axiom.UUCP> lewis@axiom.UUCP (Lewis Gordon Pringle Jr.) writes:
> ... various complaints about what doesn't work on MacPlus ...
>
>Most of this is not so surprissing, as my version was purchased almost
>a year ago.  The part I find frustrating is that that was Megamaxes
>last release (or the last one I know of).  For almost that long, they
>have been promissing a source level debugger (which I have heard
>nothing but promises about).
>
>Did they lose my registration card, and maybe thats why I haven't
>heard of new releases ?  Did they go out of business ?  Are they just
>out to lunch ?  Anybody out there know if there have been later
>releases (later than 2.{0,1}b).  Does anyone know of patches, or
>work-arounds for some of these problems?  Anyone know of other, more
>subtle problems to be aware of (I hate finding subtle problems)?
>

I'm curious, too.  I sent my disks and a check for $15 to Megamax back in
March for the most recent upgrade, and have heard nothing since.  Not even
"We got your correspondence and will reply as soon as possible," or "Due
to unavoidable delays... etc."  After all the good stuff we heard about
Megamax support in the early days, this surprises me somewhat.  Anyone
know the story, or have similar tales of woe?


Lewis Barnett,CS Dept, Painter Hall 3.28, Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX 78712

"Frankly, there's something about reality that gives me the shivering willies!"
						-- Hank the Hallucination --

-- barnett@im4u.CS.UTEXAS.EDU, barnett@im4u.UUCP,
      {ihnp4,harvard,seismo,gatech,ctvax}!im4u!barnett

jdb@mordor.ARPA (John Bruner) (05/17/86)

I too have been very frustrated with Megamax's development system (2.1b).
My problems started when I tried to use the new System, HD 20 mods, and
Finder.  I had purchased a hard disc and wanted to use the new system
software on my 512K Mac.  No luck -- I had to use System 2.0 (?)
and Finder 4.1 instead.

I have since upgraded my Mac with the 128K ROMs and 800K disc drive.
I found that I could obtain an uneasy "truce" with Megamax C if I
used it with System 2.0 and Finder 4.1; however, this eliminated many
of the features that I really wanted to use (e.g. HFS).

My impression is that Megamax makes some unjustified assumptions about
memory layout which were true for old Systems but are no longer valid.

I've been fighting hard disc problems for at least a month now, but
prior to that it was "working" after a fashion.  I'd like to continue
working on UW for the Mac, but for now I'm blissfully working on UNIX
programs instead.  It is so nice to use a real computer and a productive
development environment.
-- 
  John Bruner (S-1 Project, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory)
  MILNET: jdb@mordor [jdb@s1-c.ARPA]	(415) 422-0758
  UUCP: ...!ucbvax!dual!mordor!jdb 	...!seismo!mordor!jdb

werner@ut-ngp.UUCP (Werner Uhrig) (05/18/86)

We had a presentation from the folks in Richardson in the meeting nearly
a month ago now, and, to sum it up, we came away very much in doubt about
that companies future.  I hope I may be forgiven for just glossing over the
details, but they did not inspire any faith in me and most of those present
that they are in control of the problems they are confronting to keep
up with the Mac's evolution.

My impression is that if you have to choose which compiler to go with,
Megamax-C does not come out looking well.  And if you are able to consider
changing from Megamax to something else, you probably should; the sooner the
better.  In the past, price was their biggest Plus - but with Lightspeed-C
out, there now is another choice.

I don't care to discuss this matter in details, but recommend that
interested parties take a hard look at alternatives to Megamax also.

	Cheers,		---Werner

baron@runx.OZ (Jason Haines) (05/23/86)

As I understand it, Megamax will have the HFS compatible system available soon
(read 1986).

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D