> Today seems what monolithic image , like ST80, are not the best thing.

> ISqueak - Monticello way is having a "pieces" system, with large "pieces"

Do not blame the "image", though.  The problem is the difficulty to "mold" the
image at will.  Monticello offers only basic Package-level molding and no
support for the essential convergence of objects and code.  The monolithic
image wonderfully supports this (convergence), but is not stopping Monticello
(and others) from handling the real problem better.

The real problem being the need to integrate the functionality of multiple
systems.  "Functionality" means code and objects, not just code.

Multiple projects (Squeak, Squeakland, Croquet, etc.) growing rapidly out of a
unified core (the VM), but each have extended the core-Smalltalk system to
their individual needs.  To the extent the tools available; Spoon, Monticello,
and hand-written scripts, help us achieve integration it will get done.

At best, the projects will share a "unified" core for finite periods, until
another advancement requires one of them to temporarily diverge.

Therefore, IMO, the underlying problem to solve is "ability-to-integrate", not
"unify-the-core".  The future will require, and have I'm sure, much better
tools than we have now..

 - Chris