We're at the point in porting GPSy to Mac OS X where we have to ask whether it is worth keeping legacy Mac OS Classic support. There are many neat things we can build into GPSy by going fully Mac OS X, but it will become increasingly harder to maintain Classic versions. At this point, should we just focus on GPSy X? For example, we're building in support for the new Google Maps into GPSyLink. Right now, we have to pass the URL calls through Safari to display the images. If we went whole-hog into GPSy X, we could use the built-in web-browser toolkit to display the maps inside GSPy -- just like NetNewsWire has a built-in browser. But we can't support this in the Classic environment. While we can create parallel versions, it definitely takes more work at all levels -- sales, development, and support. This is energy that could be used to improve the Mac OS X version. But we realize we have a lot of Mac OS Classic users, so we'd like to hear your opinion on what we should do. |
Just Mac OS X
Thank heavens, you're back! We've missed you.
Just about to buy a brand new Airborne XT 912 Trike and my biggest wishlist item is to have GPSy Pro on a 17inch laptop with a kickass display.
Look forward to the good news soon I hope?
Gary Green Canberra Australia
will there be palm os support?
With the upcoming OS X version will you have USB interface capability? Given the death of the serial interface on the Mac, USB would be a great leap forward in speed and convenience and we can cheerfully throw out the anachronistic Keyspan converters which are way past their useby date!
Gary Green
Canberra Australia
I think the reason you have alot of Classic users is because that is the only choice available. I've been waiting to purchase GPSy for over two years . . . waiting for an OS X version to emerge. If your poll is any indication, there are ALOT more folks wanting to see an OS X native version.
My machines don't even have a Classic environment any longer . . . it is high time to say goodbye to MacOS 9.
Hi: Just to answer some quick questions, there won't be any Palm OS support -- we have serious doubts about the viability of that platform and of PDAs in general.
The new version will have native USB support to the extent that the GPS units behave properly. That is, if they register properly in the system as serial devices, then there shouldn't be a problem. Of course, we'll know more once the public beta test begins. I can't promise a date for that yet, but it'll most probably be during the season of the year when we are swatting mosquitoes and drinking beer -- i.e. close.
I just bought a vista c and I thought I researched it well. Now I realize I have a lot to learn. I have tried software that says it works in osx and it has no usb support. I have VPC 6 and just installed it on tiger and I can't get the garmin software to install ether. I'm hapy to here the tiger version of gpsy will have usb support. The sooner the better. I'll be looking for alternative ways to get started until then.
I bought Route 66 from the Apple Company Store in Cupertino today, as a result of a clerk's cheery endorsement.
what a ghastly crash monkey it is! virtually unusable on 1 1GB PowerBook running Tiger; latest update from web site made no detectable improvement. totally sickening.
happily, found your site (between retches.)
am panting for a viable US street navigation tool using Bluetooth NMEA GPS units like the Holux 231.
for maps, hope you'll support Delorme's current Street Atlas 2005 edition (you may already; I got confused about versions are currently covered), or something comparable.
many thanks,
OS X support is all I need. Along with usb connetivity with the Garmin Etrex Vista C. I don't own a windows PC and would like to do this without buying one.
I can't see any reason to support Classic OS 9 environment anymore. GPSyPro is the last software I still use that needs Classic. I just hope I could have GPSy for OS X this summer 05 for the boating season. Put me on the BETA list if you have one. I'm even ready to pay full price for a Beta !
I can't use gpsy and Topo on my G4 w/OSX because the keyspan USB serial adapter will work under only one environment and I chose that to be OSX. Thus the keyspan won't work w/gpsy under OS9.
It's past time to go all OSX!
CJ
I agree it's time to dump Classic. With the Mac switching to Intel processors in the near future, anyone not keeping up with operating systems is going to be left behind in more arenas than this one.
Hey, really useful this blog ... couldn't have done without
Will the new GPSy for OS X be a carbon or cocoa app?