wombat@claris.com (Scott Lindsey) (10/31/89)
I've seen several postings (and received EMail) asking about what's *really*
different about AWGS 1.1. I feel that it might be in the best interests of the
readers of the group/list to post my opinions on those.
a) Given the choice of any of the 3 versions of AWGS and any of the various
operating systems from 4.0d1 through 5.0.2, I will choose AWGS 1.1 and System
5.0.2.
b) I will assume that most people favour System 5.0 over 4.0, so I'll
consider the differences between 1.0v2 and 1.1 both under system 5.0:
Obvious:
i) Nifty splash screen.
ii) Choose printer menu item is gone.
iii) When *AWGS* asks for the disk, the dialog recognizes a disk
insert, so you don't have to hit OK.
iv) About box says AppleWorks GS 1.1
Not so obvious:
v) Program is designed for more memory-intensive use:
A) Everything possible is purged and compacted in memory before
starting up tools.
B) Program is broken down into smaller segments.
This means that AWGS now gets a better fit in memory and is less
succeptible to memory fragmentation.
vi) AWGS' internal memory management system (a heap) used by Database and
Spreadsheet has been optimized further. This means that you'll be able to
deal with larger files than previously possible, everything else held
equal.
vii) Spreadsheet recalculation and file I/O was optimized further. You
should see better overall spreadsheet performance compared to 1.0v2.
viii) Better handling of low memory situations and recovery. You should
now see low memory warnings in situations where you might have previously
crashed. But heed those warnings! Close windows and DA's. Save a copy
of the file you're editing. Maybe even restart the system/program. Just
because AWGS is better doesn't mean it's immune to fragmentation.
ix) Umpteen dozen and 1/2 bugs were found and squashed. A few more were
worked around. Yes, there are still a few in there. A program with
absolutely no bugs is a no-op, at least when you're as big as AWGS is...
Application software is not known for shipping with bug lists or release
notes, and neither will AWGS 1.1 do so. There is no way that the bug
database we have on AWGS can be made public. So it goes.
Be assured, though, that Tech Support relayed user complaints to
Development and many user-reported problems were fixed. I cannot,
obviously, guarantee that *your* pet bug has been fixed, though.
In summation, things work now.
Speaking of size, AWGS is the second largest application Claris produces.
Claris CAD is 1,064K and ships on multiple floppies with an installation
program. AWGS 1.1 is 832K and ships on a single floppy, thanks to ProDOS'
sparse file format (it really takes up 793K on disk).
DISCLAIMER:
These are my opinions as one of the programmers who worked on AWGS for the
past two years. These are intended *NOT* Claris' official views nor
should they be construed as such. Some facts are stated herein. However,
they are taken from a biological data storage system, one which has a
high data loss rate but a very sophisticated error correction algorithm.
This posting is intended for technically aware readers, not for the general
public. Offer void where prohibited by law. Your milage may vary and will
be lower in California.
-- Scott Lindsey <wombat@claris.com>
--
Scott Lindsey |"Cold and misty morning. I heard a warning borne in the air
Claris Corp. | About an age of power when no one had an hour to spare"
ames!claris!wombat| DISCLAIMER: These are not the opinions of Claris, Apple,
wombat@claris.com | StyleWare, the author, or anyone else living or Dead.