Practically speaking, MCL and the future.

[IBDON@ttacs1.ttu.edu]

Some random thoughts on MCL, rebounding to MS-Windows and LISP in
general.

1. MCL isn't dead, nor is the Mac. But by using MCL, we're effectively
   limiting our developmental efforts to a smaller percentage of 
   computers. While this has *always* been true (due to smaller %age
   of Mac's in the world), it'll just be a smaller subset, if only
   because of the introduction of new computer types (eg: PPC, et al.).

2. The influence of applications developed using MCL will *still* be
   felt. Prototypes generated using MCL will continue to be ported to
   other architectures, whether MCL is native to those machines or not.

3. Jumping to an MS-Windows 3.X LISP environment is just as "RISCy"
   (sorry, I couldn't resist...) as betting on MCL is. When Microsoft
   introduces version 4.X of Windows, things will change drastically!
   We don't know if Franz or Gold Hill, et al. will respond with
   "native" versions of their products.

   I don't pretend to know exactly *what* will change in Windows 4.X,
   but I suspect the introduction of any new operating system will 
   cause some waves.

4. You *can't* expect Microsoft to pick up and develop their own LISP
   environment. If they were, they would have done so by now.

5. If we expect computing to evolve and improve we have to expect
   some casualties. MCL may become extinct, but LISP won't. There will 
   always be a need for the likes of LISP, PROLOG and other very good,
   but relatively uncommon languages.

My hope is that Apple does find a teammate to help with the continued
development of MCL. Let's let MCL go and look forward to PPCCL (Power
PC Common LISP) and WNTCL (Windows NT Common LISP) and OS/2CL (you
get the idea...).

_don