"The power to bundle doesn't mean as much as it used to. People who use the net like to download software. It's fresher stuff!"
Yikes.. you know it's obvious.. but I hadn't thought of that. Excellent
point. I'm trying to remember the last time I used a CDROM for anything other
than listening to music or installing Apple's System software.
People buy solutions- not computers. The best perceived value is all too
often made by PR && Marketing, not the technical reality of which OS is 64bit
clean or has the best IAC.
Years ago, I read a great quote from the ex-president of CE Software (Rich
something or another). He said the one thing he had learned was to NEVER
abandon a product just because Apple was working on integrating it into the OS
for free. He was referring to the companies Font/DA mover. (Which they killed
upon hearing the news- and later mourned when they saw Font DA mover.)
I still laugh (And cry) remembering how much I hated that utility and how
utterly useless it was. The world would have been a better place if CE had
the shipped their own inspired Font/DA mover.
In summary, your articles show me Apple is fallible. So big deal if they
integrated WWW and FTP into the OS. You know it will suck. There will always
be this gapping niche called "Software that works and ships" that companies
like Apple and Microsoft will create by attempting to do things themselves.
I just wish Apple would learn to publish how to interface with the highest
level of their own technology. It would go something like this:
"If you find our Application API insufficient, you may completely replace our
Application with your own superior application. Our software will not load
(thus conflict) with any attempts on your part to make the world a better
place."
In other words- Let me bag the Apple version of HTTP and throw in Chucks
which will undoubtedly be far superior. Let me trash the Outdated Finder with
the 100% compatible/PPC native/Multithreaded version that shipped from
Userland
If Apple had designed Finder to be easily replaced, we would have a MUCH
better finder today born out of good old fashioned competition.
Fundamentally, if you agree competition is a good thing, embrace the
challenge made by Apple. FUD has no place in the heart of any empowered (Read
Metroworks) developer with a vision. Let's spend our energy trying to
convince Apple to embrace the notion their components should be unplugable.
All the way down to the microkernell.
-Matthew.
PS>Okay to quote. (As always)
-----------------------------------
Date: 5/24/96 11:29 AM
To: Matthew Dornquast
From: DaveNet email
------------------------------------
Amusing Rants from Dave Winer's Desktop
Released on 5/24/96; 7:52:40 AM PST
------------------------------------
Yesterday I wrote about Microsoft's [[#glossPatch Embrace & Extend|96/05/embraceextend|]] religion.
Microsoft is a reformed fudder. They made a transition, it happened
in the 80s. When the market moves differently from their plans,
Microsoft tries not to fight it. The truth: they still FUD, but when it
doesn't work, they E&E.
Apple, on the other hand, hasn't learned.
Developers unrealistically expected that a $740 million loss and a
new CEO would signal a change at Apple. No. It's business as usual.
More so than it was!
I'm tired. I spent the last two months in crunch mode shipping
Frontier 4.0, then 4.0.1. This was on top of a year and a half of
research into the art of web content development. My bet was that the
Mac would turn out to be the best platform for building large dynamic
sites with lots of authors.
From a technology standpoint, it turned out that way! It's exciting.
I believe I've finally reached nirvana in website building. It's all
happening on the Mac.
A gift
It's a gift Apple had no right to expect. After all the abuse they've
heaped on developers, all the botched plans, all the interference,
they don't deserve it.
I did this work while they were embroiled in internal conflict at
Apple. Losing huge amounts of money. Shipping system software that
didn't work. Completely missing every wakeup call that the net was
offering. If you doubt me, read the back issues of DaveNet.
I marched forward, inventing new things that they're only waking up
to now. Exercises in web content. Trial. And errors! I learned a lot.
Rendering, macros, templates, glossaries, hierarchies,
connections to standard tools. I built a huge lead.
Two days after I shipped Frontier 4.0 they announced that they
believe it's irrelevent. They're going to do everything I do.
They're telling me to go away. I swear, they didn't even look before
they attacked. Unbelievable arrogance.
My dream: someday I'll deliver a great product for the Mac, and Apple
will thank me in a meaningful way instead of telling me to go away. But
I'm dysfunctional! I believe anyway. I want to hit another Mac home
run. I need to take a deep long look at this. Why? Can I ever win here?
They're losers at Apple Computer. And they don't want to change. They
love their losing attitude. They depend on it. And they insist that I
be a loser too.
A voice from the past
A message to myself and any other Mac developer, a message in a time
capsule:
"Today, Macintosh is an empty loveless house. Not a home. All the
developers walked but left the babies behind. Not because of market
share, that can be fixed with economic tweaks. We walked because
Apple is a lousy lover.
"A platform is a Chinese household. One rich husband. Lots of wives.
If the husband abuses one wife, it hurts all the wives. All of sudden
food starts getting cold. The bed is empty. All of a sudden husband
isn't so rich."
I wrote this in October 1994. It's never been more true.
Lesson learned. Again. Apple is cheap. There's nothing I can do about
it.
Peter N Lewis
Peter Lewis, peter@stairways.com.au, is one of the heroes of the
Macintosh Internet software world. I depend on his software, so do a
lot of other Mac users. Lewis went to Apple's developer conference,
and he reads DaveNet. Here's what he said:
"I hear they plan to have personal web serving in 7.6. We shall see. It
certainly makes me less inclined to grab Copland and start work on an
FTP/HTTP server as soon as they release DR1. There isn't much point in
doing that if they will have their own version when they ship 8.0.
"The whole conference (while vastly improved on last year's feel)
was still about Apple doing the big stuff and how developers could fit
in to the cracks. Yeah, I want to write a little plug in for Apple's web
server. Sure, I want to write a plug in for Apple's FTP client. Unhuh."
Yaya! The attack was pretty universal. Without people like Peter
Lewis, there would be no Internet strategy for Apple because there
would be no Apple! In effect, Apple said, thanks Peter, we'll take
over from here.
With Apple's recent track record at system software, remember Open
Transport, we all lose if Peter doesn't keep NetPresenz and Anarchie
up to date. But logically, we can't blame Peter for looking elsewhere
for new challenges and new fun.
What about Chuck Shotton and WebStar? I don't plan on switching to
Apple's server software. I bet most sysops feel the same way. Why fix
it if it isn't broken? WebStar works. I wonder if Chuck will keep
WebStar up to date?
Metrowerks
We also noticed that Metrowerks, the company that shipped native
PowerPC development tools when Apple had none, who saved Apple's
butt bigtime, weren't included in Apple's Internet strategy.
Everyone uses their tools. It's likely that their Java virtual
machine will be the best one for the Mac. There's a lot of power in
Metrowerks. It's being left on the table by Apple.
Microsoft
Netscape is great! But are our interests, as content developers and
software developers, served by their dominance of the web browser
market?
I can work with Microsoft. Apple chose not to.
See you in the market
I want to be independent of Apple. I want to not care what they think.
Without a big paradigm shift at Apple, there's no way to win with them.
So, my response to Apple -- see you in the market! We embrace
AppleScript users. If you want to produce web content using the new
features in Frontier 4.0, welcome! We speak AppleScript here. When
Apple ships their content tools, take a look. Until then, know that my
4.0 isn't the end of the line. I've got a few more tricks up my sleeve.
I'm sure some of them will wait for Apple. But I'm also sure that some
won't. If Apple wants to ignore my stuff, fine. I'll bring my case
right to the users.
Users have tuned into the disaster area that Apple Computer is.
They're getting independent too. Users will have to make a choice.
You can thank Apple for that.
To other Mac developers -- let's work together. Let's stop blaming
Apple for our mess. We can take care of ourselves and each other. We
don't need them.
To everyone in the Mac community -- you can wait for Apple, and you'll
wait forever.
Or we can have fun, as we have been, without Apple.
Dave Winer
PS: On the other hand: I wonder if the strategists speak for the troops
at Apple? I've received lots of email from Apple people over the last
few days asking about my new software. This piece is air cover for
them. Let Amelio know. I can only point out the problem, I can't fix it.
PPS: I hear the complaints from Apple's execs: Where is it safe for us
to work? How can we move forward without alienating developers?
Answer: make the file system faster. Get the bugs out of Copland. Add
new slots to the Finder. Make our software run better and faster. And
save money, give your shareholders a dividend! Invest in
independent developers. Why do you have to employ so many software
writers? With independent developers you get the code for free. And
you cover markets you don't even see. Apple is ineffective at market
development. Get smaller. Let your internal developers be the
entrepreneurs they think they are. Set them free. Let them face the
realities of the market by being part of the market, instead of being
the market killers they try to be.
PPPS: The power to bundle doesn't mean as much as it used to. People who
use the net like to download software. It's fresher stuff!
---------------------------------------------------
Mail Website:
RE: SEE YOU IN THE MARKET