HOPE! does NOT do GEOS!

James W. Barr (jbarr@Mercury.mcs.com)
Fri, 26 May 1995 15:43:36 -0500 (CDT)

Hello all Zoomer users! Here is some info that is good news for Zoomer
users, and bad news for GEOS users. I just got off the phone with a man
named Ed at MCS, the makers of the previously mentioned program called
HOPE!. He was VERY nice and was concerned that there has been a LOT of
confusion about their new product HOPE!. Here is what he said that
should clear up that confusion:

-HOPE! does NOT write GEOS code.

-HOPE! does NOT write GEOS geods.

-HOPE! is a compiler that takes Visual BASIC programs and compiles them
into a DOS executable file that can be run on a DOS machine without
Windows.

-HOPE! generated programs are DOS executables that are LAUNCHABLE from
GEOS, but you cannot switch back to GEOS without exiting the HOPE!
generated program (kind of like PenRight coexisting with GEOS).

-HOPE! generated programs ARE executable on the desktop from DOS.

-The intent of HOPE! is to provide a simpler programming platform for the
Zoomer and other DOS-based PDA's and low-end desktop machines that can't
run Windows.

-As to the look-and feel, I have no knowledge. I didn't ask.

There is NO common denominator between HOPE! and GEOS except for DOS.
The common denominator implied in the article is the Casio Z-7000 platform.
Owners of the Zoomer can now write programs that are executable in DOS but
not in GEOS.

>From a GEOS-perspective, this is quite a bummer, as HOPE! gave us some
unfounded hope ;) but from a Zoomer perspective, this is a good thing,
because we won't have to learn the in's and out's of GEOS to program a
usable program on the Zoomer.

I hope this clears up some confusion!

-Jim

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