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Gary Locock

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More options 8 Mar 2007, 22:24

Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn.apps

From: Gary Locock <garyn...@locock.co.uk>

Date: Thu, 08 Mar 2007 22:24:32 GMT

Local: Thurs 8 Mar 2007 22:24

Subject: Re: Latest news from VirtualAcorn

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In article <398b6ec04e.Jer...@pressxpress.co.uk>,
Jeremy Brayshaw <jer...@brayshaw.org.uk> wrote:

> In message <5f7d67c04e.j...@itworkshop.invalid>
> Jess Hampshire <j...@itworkshop-nexus.net> wrote:
> > In message <ap.244ee54eb9.a701a0a.m.con...@argonet.co.uk>
> > <ATimbr...@aol.com> wrote:

> >> VirtualAcorn extends support to include Windows Vista

> > Is the OS X version ever going to be released? If so is there a
> > timescale?
> This is only my opinion, but it seems to me that RO developers seem to
> target Windows users because of the sheer size of the userbase. I
> think Ovation Pro has proved this is neither an advantage nor an easy
> market to move in to. I suspect that Mac users are a far more willing
> market, simply because they have the intelligence to choose the OS
> they use based on features, and not on the 'everyone uses it so it
> must be good' philosophy.
> I also suspect that, if they are free to choose, most RO users will
> move to MacOS rather than Windows for the same reason.

Entirely agree, and with the benefit of hindsight, so might David Pilling.

But it /is/ hindsight, because prior to the most recent versions the Mac had
a funny filesystem, and interworking with other computer systems (not only
RISC OS) was a bit iffy by reputation, and it put people off.

[Snip]

> It's strange, and quite frustrating, to have some RO products on
> Windows and not on Mac. Mac is a smaller market but with a bigger
> willing customer base for such things.
> So my plea to all active RO software authors is to consider the
> motives of people buying a Mac, against those buying a Windows system.
> Financially, it must be a better bet as most Mac users don't have cost
> as the major reason for buying.

Again, entirely agree, though Macs are no longer astronomically priced,
particularly if you can qualify for education pricing (got a student in the
family??). The Mac market is rather like the Acorn market was back in the
glory days; a lot of help and enthusiasm around. But the upswing has been
/very/ recent; OS X with its rock-solid Unix foundation... the iPod effect...
and now Intel for the much-needed speed boost. Nobody could have forecast
all this, even 3 years ago.

> So, to my mind, both Aaron and Paul (VA and OPro) are missing huge
> opportunities with their work by ignoring MacOS, and our loved RISC OS
> suffers for it.

(Paul??)

VA isn't /ignoring/ Mac OS AFAIK; they bring a demonstrator version of VA on
Mac OS to most shows these days (though like you, I am impatient for the
finished product).

There is a downside of course, for RO developers. Mac OS X is really rather
good, especially where RO is weakest, on the internet. Two first-rate free
browsers, and no virus worries. Don't want to encourage desertion, do we--?

However with all its strengths, the Mac still doesn't have a DTP app as nice
to use as OvnPro, AFAICS.

Gary

--
Gary Locock, Network Manager, Bablake Junior School
Coundon Road, Coventry CV1 4AU
School Website: http://www.bablakejs.co.uk
Private mail: g a r y (at) l o c o c k . c o . u k

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