Procyon vs Seven Hills, why?

[ltchean@iss.nus.sg (Lim Thye Chean)]

This small article is just some of my observations about Procyon and Seven 
Hills recent products.


Cool Cursor
-----------

It is reported that The Manager won't work with Cool Cursor from GS+. It works
perfectly well with Switch It, however.

So GS+ changes Cool Cursor and update it to 2.0. It is now supposed to be 
compatible with The Manager, but Switch It is incompatible with it. 

Weird huh?


Multitasking Environment
------------------------

I think comparing Switch It and The Manager is a little unfair. For a better
comparison, it should be (Switch It + GNO) vs (The Manager + Transprog III
+ Express).

Under Switch It + GNO environment, user can preemptive multitask many UNIX
applications and one desktop application. Switch It can replace QuickLaunch
and Transprog III (both from Seven Hills) with its speedyLaunch menu, although 
Transprog III is definitely more superior than that. 

Under The Manager + Transprog III environment, user can cooporative multitask
many desktop applications. Unfortunately there aren't many applications that
does it. If I am not wrong, GNO 2.0 should have a print spooler, so maybe it 
is possible for GNO 2.0 to replace Express too.

I am a Switch It user, this is partly because The Manager does not compatible
with GNO, and partly because Switch It seems to be more compatible with the
software I have. And it does not change my screen to weird colours, etc.


Who will be the ProTerm of GS/OS?
---------------------------------

Seven Hills is going to come out with Spectrum, which multitask with The
Manager. And Procyon is coming out with Telcom II, which multitask with GNO
and Switch It. See the trend?


Why?
----

Take a look at ALL the products RECENTLY produced by these two companies, and
it looks clear that now there are two camps of software, which are very
similar in functionality.

Procyon                                   Seven Hills
-------                                   -----------
GNO 2.0                                   The Manager
Switch It                                 Transprog III
                                          Express

Telcom II                                 Spectrum

But why? GS market is small enough already, isn't it? And not long ago, it
is just AutoArk vs HardPressed, but at least both of these products works with
all other software, very well. But Procyon and Seven Hills are forcing us to 
choose a complete set of software to buy. If you use The Manager, there is no 
chance you can use GNO 2.0. If you use Switch It, Transprog III behaves a 
little strangely (II Alive said it, I don't know).

But of course, I am a _very satisfied_ customer of Procyon. It is a great little
company with great programmer that comes out with great software. But because 
of this, Seven Hills is losing me as a customer. And Procyon might lost some
customers that used Seven Hills product.

So, what's your opinion?

Thye Chean

--
    %% GS Lover Loves GS %%    Author of Super Magic 3 & Mandelbrot II GS
 
          Lim Thye Chean: Lim is my surname. My name is Thye Chean.
     My address: LTCHEAN@ISS.NUS.SG, or 9, College Green, Singapore 1129