Am 14.12.2004 um 05:30 schrieb Michael Latta:

> I am currently using a 3.7 full image, which is the current download 
> for Mac OS/X that I could find.
>
> I have a number of questions that I am hoping can be answered by those 
> longer on this list than myself:
>
> 1) What kind of new UI is Diego working on?

Diego is leading a project in Spain that brings Squeak to 80.000 
computers in schools. The kids that are supposed
to use squeak are a bit older than the normal eToy kid. He has found 
some problems that he's trying to fix. One is
that the completely empy Squeak desktop (with no clue what to do next) 
is very annoying to first-time users who have
seen a computer before (kids and parents). So one thing he did is a 
menubar, to make it explicit what
people can do when they start squeak for the first time.
(In germany we have seen the problem, too. A parent said to us: I, as 
the parent, start up squeak, can't do *anything*,
do you think I will show that my kids?)

http://swiki.agro.uba.ar/small_land/uploads/234/basta-de-grises.PNG

> 4) The Compiler-Syntax category has only one class PrimitiveNode.  Am 
> I missing something?

Over 3.8alpha (which was named 3.8alpha-unstable for some time) the 
backend of Anthony's compiler
and the RB ParseTree were added, as both are used in a couple of 
projects and will be (new compiler)
end up to replace the old compiler anyway. When 3.8alpha was examined 
for making a fast release
possible, it was decided that as the image itself does not need the 
compiler* category, and otheres can
load it, they could be ommited. The PrimitiveNode somehow fell through 
the cleaning.
(you know, the category-alphabetization changeset came later ;-))

> 5) What is the FFI package?  There are general classes dealing with 
> calls to libraries, and categories for various graphics operations?

Forreign Function Interface. e.g. Croquet uses this to directly use the 
OpenGL dll. (as much as I know). The graphics stuff are examples.

> 7) Is an OS/X install being built for the various alpha builds, or do 
> I need to learn to build my own?

The management of the mac VM is *perfect*. John provides early releases 
for testing extremely fast, it tracks
VMmaker releases very nicely, a stable vm is there everytime. And John 
answeres eMail, so you don't feel like an
idiot.

The good maintance of the Mac VM would be reason to switch to the mac, 
IMHO.


         Marcus