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In time for the holy days of Christmas, Apple Computer has asked its followers to take a leap of faith: Stick with us, and we'll deliver an advanced operating system to developers by the end of 1997, with a wider release for customers some time in 1998.
It's a pledge that software developers may not be willing to take, given the attraction of the lucrative Windows market. "You're talking about [operating system] projects that require a long lead time," said Michael Olivier, senior software engineer for Silicon Graphics' Web products division.
"In the meantime, there's nothing to compel customers [to use the Mac], because there are no applications," said Olivier, a former Macintosh developer. "This system should have been started two to three years ago."
Apple on Friday rehired founder Steve Jobs and purchased his Next operating system. On Monday, both companies held a news conference to clarify some issues - chiefly that the first release of the Next operating system they will develop for the Power PC will not run Macintosh applications. This version will be for developers. Users will not see a release of the new operating system until "well into" 1998, and compatibility is up in the air.
"We haven't done an in-depth study of compatibility issues," said Avadis Tevanian, Next vice president of engineering. "The first release will have some compatibility, and we'll improve on that every three to six months."
The issue of compatibility is a thorny one. Apple must keep its existing base, and that means keeping the costs of moving over to the new operating system down for customers. In addition, developers see an uphill battle if compatibility issues are not resolved.
"I worry that Apple goes forward without backward compatibility," said a longtime Macintosh developer and an original member of MacHack, who requested anonymity.
Apple executive vice president and chief technical officer Ellen Hancock said the companies weren't certain of compatibility of the new operating system with older Macintoshes.
To be sure, Apple's task is not an easy one. It's trying to catch up with Microsoft and others that have developed advanced operating systems - software that not only runs a computer, but does so without caring what chip (Pentium, Power PC, or Motorola 68040) it's using.
Those familiar with the nuts and bolts of the operating system welcomed the addition of Next to Apple's own OS, which is showing signs of age.
The operating system that exists now was developed for an older hardware platform, the Motorola 68000 series, which includes anything before the Power PC line. Running System 7.x on a Power PC is not running the OS at its full potential, said Raines Cohen, editor of NeTProfessional Magazine. A new operating system optimized for the Power PC would enable applications to take advantage of the processing speed, he said.
But to longtime Macintosh developers, a simple fix of System 7.x would suffice - something Hancock has promised will come in two releases, 7.6 and 7.7, due out in January and July, respectively. The latter release will feature the new Finder, which will allow for multiple programs to run simultaneously.
"If Apple just did this, I'd be happy," said the MacHack founder. "Why did Apple waste the money on Next? It does nothing for them. Their problems are in marketing, not technology."
Still, former and current developers waxed optimistic that something will keep the innovation at Apple alive and help the Macintosh fulfill a very important role: that of a petri dish for untried technologies.
"I still hope that the Macintosh can make it," said Olivier.
