Another tech legend for discussion!

From: Douglas Quebbeman <dhquebbeman_at_theestopinalgroup.com>
Date: Fri Jul 14 16:24:32 2000

> I've been trying to find anyone who might have the early Xerox release
> images that were provided to their licensees, Apple, HP, Tektronix, etc.,
> as described in _Smalltalk-80: Bits of History, Words of Advice_.

Ok. I have two versions of Apple's Virtual Image 1 release; these are
the second and third ones Apple did. I'll have to check Kurt Scmucker's
book tonight; the first release I knew of was the Macintosh XL version
(not quite a Lisa anymore). IIRC, the second release was to support the
Mac 512k (where I enter the picture, having owned the Blue Book for a
year and not believing I could acquire ST80 for US$50.00!!!). The second
release was to support the Mac Plus' 1MB of RAM.

There was a third internal release which replaced the MVC-based GUI
with the standard Mac GUI, all done with a Smalltalk version of MacApp.

Xerox then takes all the feedback from the Virtual Image 1 testers and
creates Virtual Image 2. There are updates, I think VI2.2 is actually
what gets shipped. Two versions are marketed for the Mac, 'DE' which is
for the Mac and Mac Plus, and another, can't recall the designation,
which is marketed for the Mac II (68020 code).

I have Smalltalk-80 VI2.2 DE, in vanilla and heavily enhanced form.
I do not have any docs that accompanied the product.

This period lasts about two years, then the product line off as ParcPlace
Systems. The first product they ship is Virtual Image 2.5, which has Peter
Deutsch's J-I-T compiler and virtual machine. Very fast.

Things get boring after VI2.5, as PPS quits chasing technology and starts
chasing dollars.

> I've asked several people who worked on it at PARC, and the responses
> I get are mostly "use Squeak instead". They don't seem to understand
> that someone might have a historical interest in the early released
> images.

<sigh>

> The Apple version for the Macintosh is reportedly not very much
> different from the Xerox image, though without seeing the latter I
> obviously can't confirm that.

AFAIK, APple never produces a VI2-based system. Kent Beck or Larry Teslar
could perhaps answer that more accurately. Another person to ask might be
Sam Adams, at UIUC (he used to have a Smalltalk firm in Triangle Park).

> I'd also like to get the Lisa version. It either ran on the bare
> metal or on Monitor, I'm not sure which.

The original disks for the two Apple releases I had are acting as
growth medium for something green, having spent time under water.

:-(

I may have archived the disk images before that happened; I most
definitely did manage to archive the ST80 VI2.2 DE disks.

Eric, if you're up late mailing, send any queries to me at

        dougq_at_iglou.com

Take note of the confusing 'G's and 'Q's in that address.

regards,
-doug q
Received on Fri Jul 14 2000 - 16:24:32 BST