Re: [MiNT] MiNT and MetaDOS

[Jo Even Skarstein <jo-even.skarstein@stryn.online.no>]

Guido wrote:

> Backwards compatibility is ok but it shouldn't be made a fetish.  The

How do you define "backwards compatibility"? If you mean
"compatible with older MiNT-versions" I agree that it's
just OK, but nothing more since everything that depends
on it can be updated with little or no cost.

But if you mean "compatible with TOS and MagiC" I'd say that
it's not just OK, it's vital. Without really good TOS/MagiC
compatibility we runs into all sorts of problems with
everyday applications that most people use.

> compatibility hysteria is a major brake for MiNT.  It is 

If you want to look at it strictly from a technical point
of view you're right. MiNT could be extremely fancy if we
didn't have to deal with real life ;-) But there are users,
and they like to use the same GEM-apps as TOS and MagiC
users use. Atleast I do.

> and current standards that MiNT does not fulfill.  No need to care more
> than the absolute minimum about standards set up by a company that has
> died a long time ago from its inability to change.

Who set the standards is really not important, what's
important is how relevant they are. Example: In real life
situations you can safely remove any Drag'n drop
compatibility (as defined by Atari) as long as you don't
break the AV-protocol (defined by who? JR?). The AV-protocol
is not a good design in a multitasking OS with virtual
memory, but it's vital to almost all AES-users and should
not be broken at any cost.

Jo Even Skarstein