computing platforms

Bill Poser (poser@crystals.stanford.edu)
Wed, 18 May 1994 11:24:15 -0700

Although many people prefer Macs for educational purposes because of the
perceived ease of use, simplicity of handling of exotic fonts, and
earlier development of integrated graphics and audio, it is an open question
whether they are actually the most used for education. If I recall the
figures I have seen correctly, DOS/Windows machines actually have about
80% of the personal computer market. In the area of British Columbia in
which I have been involved in language work, DOS/Windows machines
completely dominate - Macs are practically unknown. So I suspect that
to be maximally useful program developers should aim at both DOS/Windows
machines and Macs, not that it is easy to do.

Along these lines, I wonder if anyone knows of software that allows
Hypercard stacks to be used on Windows machines, either in the form
of a Hypercard implementation for Windows or a translator that allows
Hypercard stacks to be used by a different Windows program.

By the way, with regard to Gary's comment about the origins of the
graphical user interface, I think that Doug Engelbart worked for
SRI, not Xerox PARC. As with so many ideas, the chain of developments
stretches back quite a ways.

Bill Poser

[ Oops. I'm sure Bill is right about Engelbart. These places are quite
near to one another (SRI is in Menlo Park, near Stanford, which is in
Palo Alto, where PARC's offices are). I stand corrected on that point,
but PARC was, I believe, the first to develop and commercialize mice
and windows, though they seldom get credit for that fact. --Gary ]