#: 19497 S15/Hot Topics
    18-Dec-93  12:11:26
Sb: FHL G-WINDOWS OFFER
Fm: Ed Gresick 76576,3312
To: ALL

 Reference message from FHL (#19492) offering his old TC70 G-WINDOWS package
 including source for the driver.  I think the following facts are important
 to those considering his offer.

 1.  I believe the edition number of the Hazelwood package is 37.  The
     current release is edition #50.  Significant changes, mostly enhance-
     ments but several bug fixes also, occurred since the release of edition
     37.  Most of the important changes resulted in the release of edition
     45 late last year.  While not as significant, edition 50 (just released)
     includes additional changes.  As I recall, several of the changes did
     effect the driver.

 2.  While the source code to the driver may be included, unless the programmer
     has the associated *.a, *.l and *.h files, he will be unable to compile
     the driver unless he constructs his own files.  These files are quite
     involved.  The *.a, *.l and *.h files are proprietary files to GESPAC/
     Steve_Adams and the language in my licensing agreement prohibits me from
     giving or selling these to anyone.  I assume the same is true of any
     other agreement GESPAC/Steve_Adams are parties to.

     Further, without the portpack manual, almost 200 pages, it will be diffi-
     cult for a programmer to be certain he has implemented all of the required
     functions correctly.  Attempting to deduce this from source code is time
     consuming and difficult.  Again, this document is proprietary.

 3.  It was stated that this would be an unsupported package.  DELMAR supports
     all products we sell whether hardware or software.  Support for the
     G-WINDOWS ports to the SYSTEM IV and SYSTEM V computers continues for
     1 year after purchase at no cost to the customer.  When edition 45 of
     G-WINDOWS was released, I sent updates to all purchasers of G-WINDOWS at
     no charge (except shipping to overseas customers).  Since the changes in
     edition 50 are not significant, I'm not providing automatic updates but
     all new sales (including the proposed port to the MM/1) will be with the
     latest edition.  To emphasize, a port to the MM/1 will receive the same
     support provided our other customers.

 4.  Frank Hogg states "... and allow you to develop software for GWINDOWS."
     This is wrong.  To develop software for G-WINDOWS you will require the
     'developers pak'.  Regardless of the source, it is an extra charge
     (unless the seller wishes to absorb the cost charged by GESPAC/Steve_
     Adams).

 5.  I believe that releasing the source code to the driver can be a disaster.
     Without full knowledge of what is expected of the driver by G-WINDOWS,
     different flavors of G-WINDOWS can appear which may be incompatible with
     each other and main stream ports of G-WINDOWS.  Further, as new editions
     of G-WINDOWS are released and software is written and/or updated under
     the later editions, there is no assurance that the software will be
     compatible.  An example is ControlCalc (from RTware).  The version being
     sold today requires G-WINDOWS edition 45 or higher.  IMO, if users cannot
     be assured of obtaining the latest version of G-WINDOWS and cannot be
     assured of continued support for G-WINDOWS, they are probably better off
     without it.

 One serious problem the CoCo community has and is facing are all the unsup-
 ported patches, 'improvements', etc. to the OS and software.  Thus far, OSK
 has not suffered from this problem nor do I think we need to start now.  If
 Hazelwood/FHL want to offer G-WINDOWS for the MM/1 - fine, I have no problem
 with that.  But it should be a port of the latest edition to insure compati-
 bility across all platforms and be fully supported.

 Ed Gresick
 DELMAR CO

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