fjo@ttrdf.UUCP (Frank Owen ) (02/08/89)
The new MIDI management tools sound FANTASTIC. The only question I have is how do small-time developers (and musicians-turned-developers) get their hands on these tools? It would seem to me that they should be as freely distributed as other "system" type software. (On BBS's, COMPUSERVE etc.) With the newly introduced MIDI architecture, it seems easy to write small MIDI-filter type programs that can be inserted transparently between other applications (and MIDI drivers). I'm sure that alot of public domain tools (MIDI-scopes, filters, etc.) will spring up IF Apple's tools are accesible. These will ultimately increase the chances of the Mac becoming the music-computer of choice, so it would seem to be to Apple's advantage to get this software spread around. (I can't think of any DISadvantages to doing this.) Any comments Apple? Also, what are the licencing arrangements to be able to include Apple's tools in a commercial (or even shareware?) product? Hopefully, the MIDI tools will become availible for free to all Mac owners. It should be built-in the same way Quickdraw is built-in. This would ultimately increase the chances of ALL MIDI software conforming to this interface. (I doubt the Mac would have ever got off the ground if developers had to "licence" Quickdraw!) -- Frank Owen (fjo@ttrdf) 312-982-2182 AT&T Bell Laboratories 5555 Touhy Ave., Skokie, IL 60077 PATH: ...!att!ttrdf!fjo