Message from discussion Latest news from VirtualAcorn

Path: g2news1.google.com!news4.google.com!news.glorb.com!border-1.ams.xsnews.nl!feed.xsnews.nl!border-2.ams.xsnews.nl!216.196.110.149.MISMATCH!border2.nntp.ams.giganews.com!nntp.giganews.com!news-in.ntli.net!newsrout1-win.ntli.net!ntli.net!news.highwinds-media.com!newspeer1-win.ntli.net!newsfe3-win.ntli.net.POSTED!53ab2750!not-for-mail
From: Gary Locock <garyn...@locock.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Latest news from VirtualAcorn
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn.apps
Message-ID: <4ec0903b47garynews@locock.co.uk>
References: <ap.244ee54eb9.a701a0a.m.conroy@argonet.co.uk> <5f7d67c04e.jess@itworkshop.invalid> <398b6ec04e.Jeremy@pressxpress.co.uk>
User-Agent: Pluto/3.04c (RISC-OS/5.11) NewsHound/1.43-32-pre2
Organization: None
Lines: 74
Date: Thu, 08 Mar 2007 22:24:32 GMT
NNTP-Posting-Host: 86.20.34.194
X-Complaints-To: http://www.ntlworld.com/netreport
X-Trace: newsfe3-win.ntli.net 1173392672 86.20.34.194 (Thu, 08 Mar 2007 22:24:32 GMT)
NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 08 Mar 2007 22:24:32 GMT

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