Cross 'X' Platform?
[1/3] from: laurencegiddings:mac at: 26-Sep-2002 9:15
After reading the long discussions recently on the
importance/significance of Rebols
multi platform/OS capabilities I am prompted to ask once again when
support for the
Macintosh OS X system might be forth coming?
Considering the Mac community is estimated to be around 25 million users
and there is a strong developer community within that user base
and remembering that the Mac, especially in its new OS X guise is both a
very internet/connection orientated and 'open' system for both
application
and connectivity development.
I really cannot understand the apparent lack of interest in
developing/delivering a
rebol /Core and /View package to support such a large and growing
section of the
computing community. Especially as many of the new Mac OS X users are
switching
not from windows but from Unix and Linux systems which Rebol currently
supports.
IMHO a computer savvy Mac OS X user/developer writing cross platform
rebol apps
to enable them to transfer/re-use their functionality in a Win 98/XP/NT
office, for example,
would appear to be a perfect vehicle for the much discussed break
through of Rebol
to a wider community.
On a personal note my own Rebol aspirations are necessarily on hold
until such time
as I can run Rebol on my operating system of choice..... Mac OS X.
[I can't afford either the money or the time to run a PC just to
develop Rebol apps on]
I know there are a few Mac users around on this ML, but I am sure there
would be
many many more if RT would only support us.....
[2/3] from: jason::cunliffe::verizon::net at: 25-Sep-2002 23:34
> I know there are a few Mac users around on this ML, but I am sure there
> would be
> many many more if RT would only support us.....
Yes damn right. Of course MacOSX needs to be supported, and now.
Have you lobbied RT directly about this? Please do
I would have thought that since REBOL already supports so many Unix systems,
MacOSX would be a fast and easy port. The timing would be good now too, MacOSX
Now if REBOL was openSource.... it would have probably been done by now.
[yanrwrsbos]
Also I suspect Mac users would be very happy to develop cool stuff with REBOL.
It is more in the spirit of Applescript.
The Mac world is the platform of choice sophisticated visual designers.
So RT would stand a much better chance of getting some really nicel ooking apps
to show off.
./Jason
[OT]
My last Mac was Quadra840AV with RadiusVideoVision[endless scsi + reboot
torture]. I ran MachTen on it, serious Mach Unix running as Mac process. yes
fun! Did lots QuarkXpress and Premiere work. In 1996 caved in and bought my
first PC, Win95 because urgently needed VRML support and the MAC software all
lagged badly behind.. Over the years most of the multimedia software I wanted
has been available cross platform. Some of it runs much better on win32, like
FlashMX. The best has often been open source and cross platform anyway, like
Python, Zope, PD.... But somehow the Mac ports are just that painful distance
behind. Instead of FinalCutPro3 we use Sonic Foundry's excellent VegasVideo3.
http://www.sonicfoundry.com/PRODUCTS/NewShowProduct.asp?PID=612
So after 6 years I have this big investment in PC software. Plus all the
hot-keys and utilities to zoom along with. The first OSX looked clunky, but its
picking up nicely. Now I read all over the place that OSX has people compiling
all the cool openSource Linux tools. Last month I had a QuarkXpress job. I went
****ing nuts trying to get their fonts to work on my PC. No way.. I tried all
manner of conversion tools and finally surrendered. I thought those X-platform
days were over! Time for a shiny souped up new Jaguar:-) But no extra paychecks
recently to pay for it [hard times]. Damn yes I hope REBOL makes it to OSX soon.
One more good reason to buy a Mac!
[3/3] from: joel:neely:fedex at: 26-Sep-2002 13:26
Hi, Laurence,
Adding some support to your concerns...
Although I routinely work on w2k, w9x, Solaris, Linux, and
(still a little) HP-UX, my personal box of choice is running
Mac OS X.
Laurence Giddings wrote:
> After reading the long discussions recently on the
> importance/significance of Rebols multi platform/OS
> capabilities I am prompted to ask once again when
> support for the Macintosh OS X system might be forth
> coming?
>
...
> ... Especially as many of the new Mac OS X users are
> switching not from windows but from Unix and Linux systems
> which Rebol currently supports.
>
It appears from what I'm seeing on the web that a growing number
of people are leaning that way. See below.
http://www.byte.com/documents/s=7620/byt1032475416823/0923_bar.html
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/09/26/0058238&mode=thread&tid=107
http://www.apple.com/uk/hotnews/articles/simoncozens/
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/09/22/1922205&mode=thread&tid=106
-jn-