Re: Swyft ROM Card

[regnirps@aol.com (Regnirps)]

Hey! A SwyftCard! 

I'll trade you an unopened Swyftware package.

SwyftCard boots by itself if you have a SwyftCard formatted disk in the drive,
else it allows normal boot to proceed. This was the proto-type and testbed or
proof of concept for the Canon Cat. You need a set of key front decals to use
it.

I have a case of SwyftWare packages, which is the same thing, only software and
a manual plus decals. It is pretty neat. You can see where Jef Raskin went
after the Mac or I should say, you can get an idea of what he wanted the Mac to
be like interface wise. He didn't like mice and was fond of saying "I'm tired
of living a hand to mouse existence."

After the Apple II version, they (we) made a complete 68000 base system called
the Swyft. About 60 of them I think or whatever the limit is on a rubber mold.
And used them for group testing and to show investors and filled one whole
creative writing class at a San Jose high school for a year.

WHen Canon invested it was redesigned as the Canon Cat and about 10,000 were
made and put into distribution. They (I) did user testing using the Stanford
Administration and hospital administration staff as test subjects. Canon got a
new pres or VP about then and canned the whole project! My Cat is still the
best thing I have for writing and data base search and rolodex and all that.

Charlie Springer