[Pythonmac-SIG] Python and the future of MacOS

[Steven D. Majewski]

On Tue, 12 Jan 1999, Joseph J. Strout wrote:

> I'm helping my boss pick a language to carry the lab into the next decade.
> We need number-crunching, image-processing, a decent GUI, and a good clean
> syntax (he's currently a LISP addict).  Naturally I suggested Python.  One
> concern I must research is this: how will Python on the Mac continue to
> work as MacOS evolves?  MacOS X is coming out next month; when can we
> expect to see Python running under that version of the OS?
> 
> My guess is, since MacOS X is basically Unix, and since Python already
> compiles for various Unices relatively smoothly, it will work fine under
> MacOS X.  The main issue is the current Mac modules; they'll need to be
> updated for the Carbon API.  Can we expect this to happen?
> 

Carbon is fairly source compatible with the current MacOS -- it 
subtracts more than it adds -- so updateing to Carbon should be
easy. 

Yellow Box is mostly OpenStep/NextStep. I believe there is also 
a Next port of Python with NextStep interfaces. ( There is an
objective-C sig -- you should probably check the archives of that
list for current status. ) 

What is comming out next month is OS X *SERVER*, which is basically
NextStep, not quite the same as the final OS X release. The problem
with that is the pricetag - $995.00 . ( I wish I had grabbed on of
the beta CDs Apple was handing out when I had a chance, but I didn't
believe they would price it that high! ) I expect final OS-X will
be more consumer priced, but the current price severely limits the
number of people likely to work on Carbon or Yellow box ports before
the final release. ( I had heard earlier noises that there was going
to be a special academic price -- maybe even source licenses for 
universities. If that turns out to be true, it would be great -- but
I expect that talk was still for the final OS-X . A lot of the current
problems, including why the pulled distribution of the developer beta
CDs has to do with 3rd part licensing, particularly Adobe Display PS. ) 


---|  Steven D. Majewski   (804-982-0831)  <sdm7g@Virginia.EDU>  |---
---|  Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics  |---
---|  University of Virginia             Health Sciences Center  |---
---|  P.O. Box 10011            Charlottesville, VA  22906-0011  |---

Redmond, WA (AP) -- Microsoft announced today that the official release
date for the new operating system "Windows 2000" will be delayed until 
the second quarter of 1901.