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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