Re: Packaging MCL

[nrb!cfry@MIT.EDU (Christopher Fry)]

> Return-Path: <slack@starbase.mitre.org>
> Date: Thu, 21 Jan 93 09:11:48 EST
> From: nrb!slack@starbase.MITRE.ORG (M. G. Slack)
> To: info-mcl@nrbmi2.ia.nrb.be
> In-Reply-To: Vincent Keunen's message of Wed, 20 Jan 1993 09:44+0200 <19930120074430.1.KEUNEN@nrbmi1.ia.nrb.be>
> Subject: Packaging MCL
> 
>    Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1993 09:44+0200
>    From: Vincent Keunen <nrb!keunen@nrbmi2.ia.nrb.be>
>    Reply-To: nrb!keunen@nrb.be
> 
>        Date: Fri, 15 Jan 1993 22:01+0200
>        From: ph@netcom.com (Peter Hendrickson)
> 
>        I think this is a good idea and here's how to package it: Call it the
>        "MCL Operating System".  Distribute it in an "MCL Operating System
>        Folder".  Nobody cares how big an operating system is!  When you are
>        delivering an MCL program to a customer, you specify that it requires
>        the "MCL Operating System" and they won't bat an eye.  The tone of the
>        interaction changes from "... but the application will be 1.5MB" to
>        "... you are up to date with the MCL Operating System, aren't you?"
> 
> 
> Best of all, make the MCL OS Free and packaged with the MAC OS.  I'll bet that
> this will greatly increase the # of people doing development in the language
> and thus up the Number of sales of the MCL language.

- OK, we've got the dollars end covered. 
- We've got the "psycological" end covered
with the"MCL operationg system" or its "Lieberman init" equivalent.
[Just make it so that when the machine boots up, the init doesn't take up
much room until the user actually launches an MCL applet.]
- We've got the design mapped out [use essentailly fasl files]
- We've got the user interface [see previous fry note on making it easy
to switch the menu bar, change applets with the right hand pull down menu],
- we've got some complications to work out with Apple-events but this need not
be smooth on first pass.
- Implementation is always harder than you initially hope but doesn't SOUND
  like a lot of work.
- And its a potentially big win.