| Mac OS info [message #27134] |
Thu, 11 October 2001 09:59 |
Noam R. Izenberg
Messages: 18
Registered: March 2001
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Junior Member |
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The RSI staff had a company wide meeting this morning. I happened to call a contact just after and
talked for a while. I have some info, some changed opinions, and a potential route to more
information later today.
Changes:
I'm convinced Kodak has little or nothing to do with the decision. Aside from more meetings and
profitability pressure, Kodak is not seen as dictating anything to RSI.
I'm convinced that the decision to drop OS X was financially based, though that further convinces me
the analysis was wrongheaded and/or incomplete. The following points are what I gleaned. YMMV
- RSI's sales dropped 50% 1999 to 2000
- The largest new contract was either not mac and/or not supportive of Mac updates.
- The largest mac contractor was not up for helping with OS X development costs
- Apple itself was stingy with information (regarding market predictions for OS X) and unwilling to
help development other than with some hardware.
- RSI realized that with just Thierry doing the programming, the whole project was a pizza truck
accident away from total loss, so at least a backup programmer was needed -> more expense.
I still think they're wrong about the recoverability of the expense, but that's for another
conversation.
Info:
At today's meeting two possibilities were discussed:
1) Support of IDL 5.5 in Classic mode of OS X is being considered. I already use 5.4 in Classic mode
at Iwould say 95% efficiency even without support. [Opinion: Thismightgive IDL time to observe the
market response to OS X to re-evaluate their decision]
2) A port or emulator for IDL into Mac Linux is being considered.Not an aqua-ized total rewrite, but
something to let us run IDL natively inOS X nonetheless. [Opinion: as a command line user of IDL,
this would be plenty for me.]
Also: Thierry, though relieved of OS X is still salaried and/or retained until the end ofthe year,
and is apparently being taken good care of. Indicates he (hopefully) woiuld not be averse to coming
backtothe project (even as a contractor).
Also: Management has been at least somewhat receptive to reported offers from oputsiders to finish
at least a port, if not full a OS X version.
Also: Our concerns are being heard and given a company wide floor to air.
Also: The information to customers is recognized as being poor and insufficient. They are working
on better communications. The proof of that will be seen o rnot in the next few days.
Hopefully more later,
Noam
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