From: David Murray
Subject: Re: Smalltalk/V on Quadra
Organization: Prodigy Technologies Corp
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 21:00:23 GMT

In article <1992Apr8.224418.10512@techbook.com> sehyo@techbook.com (Sehyo
Chang) writes:
>In article <3713@vtserf.cc.vt.edu> cohill@vtserf.cc.vt.edu (Andrew M. Cohill)
writes:
>>In article <H7GHBW8X@cc.swarthmore.edu> gessel@cs.swarthmore.edu (Daniel Mark
Abrahams-Gessel) writes:
>>>Has anyone gotten Smalltalk/V to work on the Quadra yet?
>>>
>>Smalltalk/V does not work on the Quadra, period.  Does not matter if the
>>cache is turned on or off.  Digitalk, as usual, has no one who can
>>provide a straight answer on when the fix will be available.  I called a
>>month ago and was told it would be available in two weeks, and to call
>>back then.
>>
>>I called back in two weeks and got the usual Digitalk support person;
>>i.e., someone who can barely speak English.  Long rigamarole about
>>serial numbers.
>>
>>I called back two days later and got someone more reasonable who was
>>able to verify that I had a registered copy, and took my name.  No
>>promise on when the fix would be available.  
>>
>>There just is not enough competition in the Smalltalk market;  I am
>>beginning to think it will never really be accepted because neither
>>ParcPlace or Digitalk seems to want to supply the workaday tools that
>>serious developers need.
>>
>>I just got a copy of Prograph (for the Mac), which is based heavily on
>>ST ideas, but has the backing of a company who understands developer
>>needs.
>>
>>Andrew
>>
>>
>My experiences with Digitalk was similar.  They have
>pretty lousy technical support even considering that they
>are small company.  But wait a minute, for a small company,
>making customers should be top priority!
>
>Other problem with Digitalk is that price of their smalltalk
>seems to going up with every release.  Latest incarnation of
>OS/2 version 2.0 VPM will cost around $1000, which will be 
>like pricing structure of Parc Place(ridiculous price of
>$3995 for mac/pc).  On top of that, Digitalk's class library
>is  as if written by third class hacker.  It is full of
>bugs and badly commented (or no comment) codes.
>
>I think Digitalk has totaly abandoned hobbyist and small-business
>developers, and has adopted strategy similar to ParcPlace ;
>going for MIS/Corporate Market .  This is reflected in their
>pricing structure and their heavy emphasis on OS/2 instead of
>Window and Mac platforms.
>
>Well there is also C++ (sigh...)
>-- 
>----------
>Sehyo Chang
>Object/Smalltalk Consultant
>(503)274-0864
>

Digitalk's story a few mos. ago was that the motorola 680x0 was a dead end
platform and that they were going to focus on the new 'widget'/V windows/PM
versions.  Don't forget that since IBM has taken an interest, digitalk has
grown to over 100 staff, of which only one was on Mac.
Recently, though, they seem to have renewed their commitment to cross-platform
support and i know that we even have a version that runs on the quadra 700 (w.
cache even!).  They will not be delivering the 'wiget' version for the mac for
some time (gotta use the traditional ?MVC style? or maybe Acumem has cleaned
out some of their bugs)

I still prefer using ST80, myself, but there are strong V advocates in my own
company.  Parc Place seems to have a much stronger commitment to the *Mac*
(everyone in the Parc office has a Mac on their desk.  I saw no clones and a
few suns as second machines when i toured their offices).  They have excellent
*support* (prompt, knowledgeable, good follow up)

anyway, i know v is available for the quadras, i've seen bemchmarks for it.
Newsgroups: comp.lang.smalltalk