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Aucbvax.6413 fa.works utcsrgv!utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!works Sat Mar 6 16:38:44 1982 Re: Innovation >From Mishkin.YALE Sat Mar 6 16:33:24 1982 Date: 5 Mar 1982 2207-PST From: BUSH.USC-ISIE Subject: Innovation To: WorkS.MIT-AI

Apollo is a case of the hardware without the software. They've always had always had a bit-mapped display with overlapping windows, but until recently all their windows were full-screen width with no identifying information, so it was difficult to parse the screen and figure out which windows were partially obscured. Now they have Alto-like windows of varying widths with a thick bar at the top with information about the window (for example, which file is being edited in it), so now there's a real reason for the display. Innovative products, like the Star, will be defined by their software.

*** Apollo Flame ***

Having used the Apollo fairly extensively, I'd say this is an incorrect statement. The hardware is pretty straightforward stuff. Where Apollo has made its mark is in the software engineering of their system. They have a real system and it's not Unix (thank god). They have made intelligent decisions about what to compromise on and more importantly what NOT to compromise on.

The window problem is a typical example of Apollo's approach. I'm sure they wanted the whole zippy window thing from the start. The full width windows were a temporary stage. In general, Apollo has designed software which does not preclude future increases in sophistication; in fact it plans for such increases.

If you want to talk hardware without software, let's talk PERQ...

-- Nat Mishkin -------

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