[comp.sys.apple] ShrinkIt and II+

AWCTTYPA@UIAMVS.BITNET ("David A. Lyons") (02/22/89)

>Date:         Sun, 19 Feb 89 22:18:08 EST
>From:         The RainForest BBS <sschneider@PRO-EXCHANGE.CTS.COM>
>Subject:      APPLE ][+ / ShrinkIt

>The comments in this message are mine and are not those of the author
>of ShrinkIt, Andy Nicholas. Flames are unnecessary as I don't respond
>to same.
>
>The argument on GEnie about lack of Apple ][+ and unenhanced //e
>support by ShrinkIt is ridiculous. How much Apple ][+ runnable
>programming is available these days anyway? And those that have an
>Apple //e and haven't spent the approximately $50 (mail order) cost
>of upgrade to an enhanced //e are a minority.

No, it's not ridiculous.  There's actually a fair amount of stuff
downloadable from GEnie that's usable on a II+, starting with the
weekly RoundTable chat logs and other text files, and AppleWorks
templates & other AW files.  (Yes, you can use AppleWorks on a II+
with the right 3rd-party software to make it possible.)

Unenhanced IIe users may well be in the minority.  If they are, so
what?  Do minority groups deserve no support?

>[...] why should Andy have to make his program work on 40 column/][+/
>etc equipment?? [...] Face it people... just because -you- are in
>love with an OLD, out-of-date piece of hardware doean't mean that
>Andy ( =OR= Floyd Zink or anyone else) has to write programming for
>it. What it means is you can't use it. There's lots of things you
>can't use so why pick on ShrinkIt?

Andy and Floyd and everybody can write whatever they want.  It's just
unlikely that anything they write will become a new standard on GEnie
or other commercial services unless users of old hardware have a way
to get at the files.

Why pick on ShrinkIt when there are lots of things you can't run on a
II+ or unenhanced IIe?  Easy:  those other things are not being
considered as standard packers.

What I'd _like_ to see is ShrinkIt and BLU II using the _same_ file
formats, or recognizing each other's formats, & being compatible with
existing .BNY and .BQY files at the same time.  But at this point
I'll be surprised if it turns out that way.

>/steve
>system manager

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> The RainForest @ 305-434-4927 / PO Box 841422, Pembroke Pines, Fl,  33084

--David A. Lyons              bitnet: awcttypa@uiamvs
  DAL Systems                 CompuServe:  72177,3233
  P.O. Box 287                GEnie mail:    D.LYONS2
  North Liberty, IA 52317     AppleLinkPE: Dave Lyons