Re: Why does nobody want Pegasus P?

[dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

In article <Cw8p0M.LwJ@tiamet.uucp>, Ken O Burtch <ken@tiamet.uucp> wrote:
> So let me get this straight.  Pegasus Pascal:
> 
>      * compiles twice as fast as ORCA's compiler

So the total compile time is therefore 1.5 times that of ORCA/Pascal.

>      * doubles your productivity by it's clean design
>      * has a project manager that makes big projects a snap
>      * cross-compiles to other platforms
>      * more feature-packed than Modula-2
>      * costs half the price of Bytework's compilers

So the total cost is therefore 1.5 times that of ORCA/Pascal.

The other points are quite valid.  The project manager isn't much of
an issue - I use make whenever possible, or write a shell script.

>     * why does nobody want it?

In my case:

- I rarely use Pascal.  I do most of my programming in C and assembly
language.  I'm in the process of learning Modula-2.

- I have little need for a "simple" programming language, when I
already know how to program in several "complicated" languages that do
everything I need.

- It is an oddball language.  I don't intend to continue programming
the IIgs forever, and learning another IIgs-specific language would be
a waste of time.

- I am not writing a lot of new programs, mostly working on existing
ones.  Porting them to a new language would be pointless.

- Most new programs I'm working on are likely to be for the GNO
environment, which generally requires C or assembly language.

- I've already spent far too much money on the IIgs and am choosing
carefully what gets bought from now on.  I'm not going to buy products
if I'll never use them.

>       a week getting a short C or Pascal program to work?

You have a point there, in the case of ORCA/C 2.x (trying to fight the
compiler's bugs).  To avoid this problem, I'm still using ORCA/C 1.3.

> Want part of this equation did I miss?  I need some answers, because I
> don't want to waste my time programming miracles for the IIGS if nobody
> wants them.

My impression of the information I've seen is that it most suitable
for people who are learning to program the IIgs, and are perhaps new
to programming.

In my opinion, most of the people still programming the IIgs have been
doing it for several years, and are comfortable with the languages
they are using.  (This is certainly my situation.)
-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand