awd@dbase.UUCP (Alastair Dallas) (05/27/89)
I just received 0.9 of the NeXT Technical Documentation, which is all I could get our division of my company to spring for. An actual machine is out of the question right now. I pleaded for the doc because I remember how mind-opening Inside Macintosh was in 83-84 (especially when you didn't have to use the information directly to write software). As I say, I just got the three books, and I'm making my way through Chapter Two. Not to be rude, but it really must have been a lot of work for someone to rewrite the Apple User Interface Guidelines without using the _exact_ same words. Where's the revolution? What's new about the NeXT, or is all the 'new' in the styling and '030/DSP hardware? I guess SaME didn't sound as good as NeXT. (That's not fair; it is next-generation hardware, I'm sure. It's just that I'm software.) Any pointers deeper into the doc would be appreciated. You've got a NeXT machine (or you're interested in it)--what do you find compelling about it? I don't know how widespread the technical doc is--if I can look something up for people, I'd be glad to. /alastair/ Disclaimer: Ok, so my company paid for the doc, but as usual, they don't know I'm on the net and I'm not sure they understand why I asked for the doc. So don't blame them.
greid@adobe.com (Glenn Reid) (05/30/89)
In article <85@dbase.UUCP> awd@dbase.UUCP (Alastair Dallas) writes: >As I say, I just got the three books, and I'm making my way through >Chapter Two. Not to be rude, but it really must have been a lot of >work for someone to rewrite the Apple User Interface Guidelines without >using the _exact_ same words. Where's the revolution? Did you expect a revolution in the user interface guidelines? People haven't changed, you know. If the Mac guidelines were so good (and I think that they were, for the most part) then it is SENSIBLE not to change them, don't you think? The Mac UI guidlines basically encourage you to be careful, consistent, and reasonable when designing an interface, so that people will be able to pick it up intuitively. Anyway, there are major steps forward in software. The Interface Builder, for example, keeps you from having to write any code to support the interface. You should really get a machine (or at least go look at one somewhere). The documentation doesn't do it justice.
awd@dbase.UUCP (Alastair Dallas) (05/31/89)
In article <873@adobe.UUCP>, greid@adobe.com (Glenn Reid) writes: > Did you expect a revolution in the user interface guidelines? > > Anyway, there are major steps forward in software. The Interface > Builder, for example, keeps you from having to write any code to > support the interface. You should really get a machine (or at least go > look at one somewhere). The documentation doesn't do it justice. Well, yes, I _did_ hope for some eye-opening concepts in the user interface guidelines, because that's what hit me over the head the first time I read Inside Macintosh (Dec '83). But you're right--there is no reason to change UI guidelines that work. In fact, I've found subtle, unheralded ways in which the NeXT interface supports the "same old" guidelines better than the Macintosh. For example, buttons. The shading possible on NeXT allows a much more visceral feel, I imagine, which makes it a better model of a real-world button than the Mac's. Looking deeper into Inside Mac (looking all through it, in fact), you begin to realize that the operating system kernal is kin to the operating system in an Apple ][--an afterthought, not a foundation. The best thing about NeXT may be that it's a Unix box with a floptical disk to solve the mass storage problems associated with personal Unix. I'm curious to learn more about the Interface Builder. It sounds like ResEdit expanded into a useful development and customization tool. As a Mac developer, I can work with ResEdit (and more powerful tools) to create resources that my end users can customize, somewhat. Am I right that IB extends this concept to make it useful for developers and accessible to end users? Lastly, I would love to get my hands on a machine or go see one. Where is there one to be seen? I'm near JPL and CalTech, not to mention Businessland... /alastair/
dyer@spdcc.COM (Steve Dyer) (06/01/89)
In article <86@dbase.UUCP> awd@dbase.UUCP (Alastair Dallas) writes: >The best thing about >NeXT may be that it's a Unix box with a floptical disk to solve the mass >storage problems associated with personal Unix. Now we know for SURE that he hasn't played with a box yet... >Lastly, I would love to get my hands on a machine or go see one. Where >is there one to be seen? I'm near JPL and CalTech, not to mention >Businessland... Gee, I'm surprised that Ashton-Tate doesn't have one yet. They were there at the Unveiling. -- Steve Dyer dyer@ursa-major.spdcc.com aka {ima,harvard,rayssd,linus,m2c}!spdcc!dyer dyer@arktouros.mit.edu
bruceh@zygot.UUCP (Bruce Henderson) (06/02/89)
This is a totally lame question, I know, but for the life of me I can't
seem to find any way to get this to work ( yes, I am a NeXT novice)
I would like to do screen dumps into a postscript text file. We are
experimenting with a color film recorder for the NeXT and we are trying
to convince some people that we should make such a product. I have
limited access to a friend's machine. We also have software that runs
on a Mac or PC that rasterises postscript. So seeing as our film
recorder already runs on these two, we would like to capture a screen
dump into a postscript text file [not a bitmap, but the postscript
commands] that we can then transfer to the Mac or IBM and output to out
film. If this works there is a VERY good possibility that we will be
able to put this product on the NeXT. And the output looks hot!
Thanks in advance reply to : {backbone}!apple!zygot!brucehmikel@apple.com (mikel evins) (06/02/89)
In article <86@dbase.UUCP> awd@dbase.UUCP (Alastair Dallas) writes: > Where > is there one to be seen? I'm near JPL and CalTech, not to mention > Businessland... I don't know about the Businessland stores near you, but the Businessland in San Jose on Stevens Creek just west of Valley Fair has a NeXT machine in the front window. You can just go in and poke at it if you like. I don't know how I'm going to get my hands on one long enough to find out whether Franz's Allegro CL will provide an adequate vehicle for my simulation and hyperText applications, but, then, I didn't know how I was going to get my hands on a Mac II until Apple hired me. I'll just have to assume that some fortuitous circumstance will eventuall come along. --mikel
awd@dbase.UUCP (Alastair Dallas) (06/02/89)
In article <3421@ursa-major.SPDCC.COM>, dyer@spdcc.COM (Steve Dyer) writes: > Gee, I'm surprised that Ashton-Tate doesn't have one yet. They were > there at the Unveiling. > > -- > Steve Dyer I don't have access to one, but Ashton-Tate has several development centers. Where I work, we do dBASE for IBM PCs, so I have no reason to get my hands on a NeXT. I can't (or shouldn't) comment on what Ashton-Tate as a company is working on. /alastair/ Disclaimer: I speak for me, not A-T, and I wish I'd put this disclaimer on the last message as well.