The best HyperCard discussion group is the
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HyperCard-subscribe@egroups.com (the subject and
content of the e-mail do not matter; they can be anything).
HyperCard Supporters Purchase
Booth Space at Macworld San FranciscoA group of HyperCard supporters (most of whom are subscribers to the HyperCard Mailing List) has purchased booth space at the 2001 Macworld San Francisco Expo. Here is their press release:
Press Release
January 5, 2001
It's all about HyperCard.
You are invited to attend our press conference on Thursday, January 11 at 4 pm in Room 122 at Moscone Convention Center. Steve Collins, who attended our meeting with Phil Schiller at last year's expo, will be presenting news and information at the conference.
We are excited to be the first group of end-users that have collectively created an exhibit for any software application. We invite you to visit our booth (#3654) prior to the press conference to withness first-hand the excitement HyperCard will create in our corner of the show.
-- iHug (International HyperCard User Group)
Be sure to visit their web site, and be sure to stop by the booth if you attend Macworld.
Posted Jan. 6, 2001
New HyperCard Virus
The HyperActive Software Virus Compendium has been updated to include information about a new HyperCard virus called Wormcode.
Posted April 1, 2000
Report Data Pro is "Alive and Well"
I received the following press release from Robert Greenberg and Bruce Velick:
"Greetings from rpControl, LLC.... the saviors of Reports Data Pro for Hypercard. The torch has been passed from Nine to Five Software to us and we are proud to announce that Reports Data Pro v.3.0 is now shipping. This new version is the only version that is compatible with OS 9, the operating system that is now installed on all new iMacs and G4 computers. Other Hypercard products that have been updated to be OS9 compatible include Rescue, Index, and Letters, and we will shortly have the update to The Office.
Posted April 1, 2000
Some iCard Photos Taken by
HyperCard's CreatorAn Apple staffer told me that some of the nature photos for Apple's iCards were taken by Bill Atkinson, the creator of HyperCard. Bill is now working full-time as a nature photographer.
Posted Feb. 7, 2000
Royal Software Update
Ro Nagey of Royal Software recently said, "Moving our server to Florida has been, ahem, an interesting experience. ...We have put up a page that allows you to download demo software. It's not linked to any other page currently as we're still testing the page. Over the next several months, we'll be releasing some new products and new versions of old ones.We'd like to thank everyone for your patience. We hope to have all the bugs worked out of the new system shortly."
Posted Feb. 7, 2000
More Info & Workarounds for
HC/MacOS9 ProblemsAs I previously reported, users have had problems when using the latest version of HyperCard with System 9. Visual effect transitions are glacially slow, the 'answer program' command does not work, and stacks that use Apple events to get a sender's address will fail.
Posted Jan. 4, 2000
Reports DataPro Updated;
Now Called Reports 3.0Nine to Five Software Company Inc. has announced that Reports DataPro has been updated to work with MacOs 9 and G4 Macs. It's now called Reports 3.0, and it was scheduled to be completed in late December. The update was created by Mike Long, who was the original author. For more information, you can write to them at nine2five@aol.com, or call them at 303-664-9624.
Posted Jan. 4, 2000
Collection of Outstanding Stacks
Now Available on CDR. Charles Flickinger recently led a non-profit, volunteer project to collect outstanding stacks from subscribers to the HyperCard Mailing List and put them on a CD. This collection is now available at the HyperCard Mailing List CD web site. The CD can be ordered for just $5 (US delivery) or $10.80 (international delivery). See the web site for details.
Posted Jan. 4, 2000
Do You Know Organizations That
Purchase Macs Because of HyperCard?As part of the Save HyperCard campaign, Jacque Gay is compiling a list of companies or organizations who purchase large numbers of Macs because of HyperCard. People have already written to her about Renault, Navistar, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and a few universities and schools, but if you know of any other organizations that purchase Macs because of HyperCard, please let her know.
Posted Jan. 4, 2000
HyperCard Now on Apple's "Maintain" List;
Mailing Campaign May Have Influenced Decision!Finally a bit of good news. A high-level Apple executive has said that HyperCard is now on Apple's "maintain" list, which means it will be updated to work with future operating systems as necessary.
Posted Nov. 7, 1999
MacOS 9 Creates HyperCard ProblemsUsers have reported several problems when using the latest version of HyperCard with the recently-released System 9. Visual effect transitions are glacially slow, and due to changes in how the MacOS handles IP addressing, the 'answer program' command does not work, and stacks that use Apple events to get a sender's address will fail.
Posted Nov. 7, 1999
MacOS 9 Problems Create New Opportunity
for HyperCard UsersAs I mentioned in the article above, the latest MacOS (System 9) creates some problems for HyperCard. This actually creates a great opportunity for HyperCard users to let Apple know that there are still plenty of us out here. Several Apple news sites that rarely mention HyperCard are now carrying reports of the problem. Here's what you can do:
1) Sign the HyperCard petition (plans are being made to submit it to Apple soon).
2) Write to Steve Jobs at Apple (see the Save HyperCard page for more info). If you've written previously, write again and tell him how the latest incompatiblity with System 9 will create problems for you.
3) Contact the various Mac news sites (you can find links to them at the MacSurfer news site) and let them know you're a HyperCard user who is concerned about this problem.
Posted Nov. 7, 1999
Apple Still Undecided about HyperCard's Future;
Letters May Help Influence Final DecisionAccording to several sources, Apple is still undecided about HyperCard's future. No work is being done on it currently, but it has not been categorized as a cancelled project and it's possible that work might resume in the future.
Posted Sept. 6, 1999
Software Perspectives XFCNs Will Be FreeSoftware Perspectives has announced they will no longer be selling their collection of XFCNs (external functions) for HyperCard and other authoring programs. Due to a drop in demand for these products, they will no longer be supported, nor will updates be produced. The XFCNs will be provided free to anyone who wishes to use them in a project.
Posted Sept. 6, 1999
Fourth World SuperCard Tools Go Open SourceFourth World has announced a strategic alliance with DevHQ to deliver its popular line of SuperCard tools for free to the Open Source community. Both source code and compiled externals, most complete with sample projects, will be available for free download at a new section to be added to the DevHQ site.
Posted Sept. 6, 1999
Job Opportunity for
HyperCard Programmer / Systems AnalystThe following message was posted to the HyperCard mailing list on July 2:
Posted July 8, 1999
HyperCard Article(s) Wanted
For Magazine / CDThe following message was posted to the HyperCard mailing list by Tom Witte:
Posted July 8, 1999
Former HC Team Leader Now a QT Manager;
Reveals Some Undocument HC FeaturesKevin Calhoun, the long-time leader of Apple's HyperCard team, has been keeping a very low profile since the HC team was apparently disbanded and its members were reassigned to work on QuickTime. However, a recent MacInTouch article concerning a possible QuickTime bug had a brief comment by Kevin about the QT problem and referred to him as the "Manager of QuickTime Players and Tools" at Apple.
Kevin also posted an interesting message recently to the HyperCard mailing list (which he hadn't done in some time) in which he revealed some undocumented HyperCard features.
From: Kevin Calhoun
Subject: Re: PowerBook Dailing>I'm new to this Hypercard list and wondered if there has been any discussion
>on using Hypercard to "dial with modem" on PowerBooks. My latest PowerBook is
>the 3400/240. However, when I use the "dial with modem" command including the
>dialing volume and dialingtime changes nothing happens, not even off hook....Right before HyperCard 2.4.1 shipped I was able to add a couple of features to make dialing work with different modem configurations, including the PowerBook 3400 internal modem. The features were too late to make the documentation or even to be tested properly at the time, so that's why you haven't heard about them until now. However, they work just fine with the 3400. If you're using HyperCard 2.4.1, add the following line to your Home stack's startUp script:
set the dialingPort to "Internal Modem"
Then quit HyperCard and start it again. You should now be able to dial. If you use the Phone Dialer stack exclusively to do your dialing, you can add the line above to its 'dial' script instead. In addition to the dialingPort property, there is also a function that returns a list of available serial ports: 'the serialPorts'. This will list the ports you can use in connection with the dialingPort property. I've used dialingPort to enable HyperCard to dial with PCI-modems, modems connected to add-on serial cards, etc. I hope it helps to resolve a number of dialing problems.
In a follow-up letter, Kevin added:
Just before 2.4.1 shipped, Paul Foraker talked me into fixing the dial command... again. I had once said that I'd never touch the dialing code again after 2.1, but time passes and people change. Also, one of my colleagues on the QuickTime team once worked on the Comm Toolbox, and he had some code I could use in HyperCard's dial command to make it more flexible.
>Are you not tempted away from HyperCard,
>to one of those other tools like MetaCard or OpenCard?No. But I finally did switch from MPW to CodeWarrior. I just turned 40 and thought I needed to demonstrate some anti-foginess. Maybe I'll give up HyperCard at 50, but I'm not ready to make a commitment yet. We may all change, but some of us don't make many changes very fast.
>Seriously though, out of interest, did anyone at all ask about
>HyperCard at WWDC (World Wide Developer's Conference)?Nothing came up at any of the sessions. One well-known member of the HyperCard community asked me between sessions about a Carbonized version of HyperCard, and I directed him to our V.P.'s of Product Marketing (Phil) and Software (Avie).
- Kevin
Posted June 12, 1999
Paul Foraker Becomes Co-Moderator of HC Mailing ListPaul Foraker, a professional HyperCard developer who has worked on Apple's HyperCard team, has become the new co-moderator of the HyperCard mailing list. (See my Links page for info about the mailing list.) Jacqueline Landman Gay recently posted this announcement:
"As many of you know, Simon Hayes and I have split the responsibilites for the HyperCard mailing list... The arrangement has been very satisfying to both of us, and ... I have gained a great deal of respect for Simon as one of those "really nice people" it is always such a pleasure to meet. I am sad to say that Simon is resigning his position as co-moderator of our list, due to an increased work load, a new job, and other responsibilities. We're going to miss you, Simon. Your help with the HC mailing list has been a gift from the heart. The good news is, co-moderation [is] being assumed by Paul Foraker, who not only manages several other lists ... but whom many of you will recognize as a professional HyperCard developer ... I know we will be in good hands as Paul takes over the reins."
Posted June 12, 1999
"Save HyperCard" Ad in NEA Today Magazine
A couple of months ago, I mentioned that some people in the HyperCard Mailing List were thinking of creating a "Save HyperCard" magazine ad. Well, they've done it! After much discussion, a small classified ad was designed and money was raised to buy space for it in NEA Today magazine (a publication for educators). It appears in the current (May) issue.
Posted May 6, 1999
SuperCard 3.6According to an article at MacCentral, SuperCard 3.6 (the second update of SuperCard since IncWell acquired the software less than a year ago) will be available this month. "Although SuperCard 3.6 will be available free of charge to all SuperCard 3.5 users, this is much more than a maintenance release," said Scott Simon, product manager for IncWell. "There has been so much changed under the hood, this new release is destined to become the launching pad for future SCPro functionality."
Posted May 6, 1999
HyperCard and Y2KThere has been a lot of discussion lately about computers and Y2K (Year 2,000). Some computers and computer programs store dates as just two digits, so for example the year 1900 and the year 2000 would both be recorded the same way -- "00" -- which can lead to all kinds of potential problems. Several people have asked me if HyperCard stacks which manipulate dates will still function properly after the year 2,000 rolls around. I'm no expert on the subject, so I asked professional developer Jacque Gay of HyperActive Software to fill us in. Here's what Jacque told me:
So to summarize, your stacks should function properly if 1) you your use the time format "the seconds" or "the dateItems" when manipulating dates or storing them in fields (which is just good scripting anyway); 2) if it's ok that any 2-digit year less than or equal to 10 is interpreted as being in the next century and any 2-digit year over 10 is interpreted as being in 1900; and 3) your scripts don't manipulate dates on their own in a way that assumes all dates are in the 1900s.
Posted March 7, 1999
"Save HyperCard" Campaign Considers AdThere has recently been some discussion on the HyperCard mailing list concerning the idea of placing a magazine ad in an education publication to help spread the word about the "Save HyperCard" campaign. Magazine ads -- even very tiny ones -- cost a lot of money, so there have been mixed feelings expressed concerning the cost-effectiveness of that strategy. The ad would be created and paid for by HyperCard users (in other words it would be totally unofficial). I don't think a final decision has been made yet.
Posted Feb. 7, 1999
SuperCard Upgrade Paths
Will Change on March 1According to a MacCentral article, IncWell (the new owner of the SuperCard) announced that as of March 1, the $114.95 upgrade from SuperCard version 2.5 or earlier will expire, and the SuperCard 3.0 upgrade paths will be unified at $99.95. The full price of SuperCard 3.5 is $144.95, making the upgrade a $45 savings. More information is available at the SuperCard site.
Posted Feb. 7, 1999
SuperCard To Enhance Browser Plug-In
For Cross-Platform UseAccording to a press release, IncWell (maker of SuperCard) has closed a technology and marketing agreement with Japan-based MediaLinks Corporation, an internet multimedia developer. The press release said, "...The agreement will include development of a next generation of Windows-based extensions to the SuperCard multimedia family of products, including an upgrade of IncWell's Roadster technology, a plug-in architecture for streaming SuperCard content through ... browsers on Microsoft Windows family of operating systems. ... Our agreement will ... strengthen our Roadster technology, allowing SuperCard users to easily create and deliver complex streaming media to multiple platforms without having to leave the friendly Macintosh environment."
Posted Feb. 7, 1999
Royal Software Not for Sale; Moves Back to FloridaA few weeks ago, Royal Software announced on the HyperCard mailing list that they were looking for a buyer for their company, but now they've decided to reorganize instead. Here are portions of their press release:
Posted Jan. 8, 1999
"Save HyperCard" Campaign ContinuesJacque Gay at HyperActive Software plans to continue the Save HyperCard campaign in spite of Steve Jobs comments last month that reports of HyperCard's cancellation were "b.s." (see article below). In an article at MacCentral, Jacque said, "I very much hope that Jobs' statements are true ... [but] I know most of those guys over on what was once the HyperCard team, and they don't know anyone who's doing this so-called 'development' work. It sure isn't any of them..." She added that an Apple official told employees last month that HyperCard 2.4.1 would be the last version Apple would ever ship.
Posted Jan. 8, 1999
"Thanks for HyperCard"MacCentral recently had a nice article singing the praises of HyperCard.
Posted Jan. 8, 1999
Software Perspectives Celebrates AnniversarySoftware Perspectives, a company that originally specialized in HyperCard development, is celebrating their 10th anniversary. Although many of their products are no longer HyperCard-related, they continue to carry a number of HyperCard XCMDs that they created. In March, they will celebrate with a redesigned web site and a free software giveaway. See their site for details.
Posted Jan. 8, 1999
Steve Jobs Denies HyperCard is CancelledAccording to an article at MacCentral and an article at MacInTouch, Steve Jobs mentioned HyperCard at the CAUSE98 educational conference on December 9th. Steve was apparently responding to a question from the audience when he said that reports of HyperCard's cancellation were "bullshit". [Excuse the language, but that's what he said.]
Posted Dec. 9, 1998
Goodman's "HyperCard Handbook" Available AgainDanny Goodman's best-selling book, The HyperCard Handbook, is often regarded as the HyperCard "Bible". It's been out of print for some time, but toExcel has announced that they have republished the book and it can be ordered from their web site. If you order it, please note that they split the book into two volumes which are sold separately.
Posted Dec. 9, 1998
Mailing Campaign to Steve Jobs Continues;
Execs Reportedly Take NoticeAs I have reported previously (see articles below), informed sources have reported that Apple has stopped all work on HyperCard 3.0. Jacque Gay has created a Save HyperCard page at her HyperActive Software site and has led a letter-writing campaign to Steve Jobs.
Steve Jobs
Office of the CEO
Apple Computer, Inc.
M/S 301-CEO
1 Infinite Loop
Cupertino, CA 95014
Posted Nov. 14, 1998
Apple Execs Mentioned HyperCard's
Cancellation At Sales MeetingAlthough news of HyperCard 3.0's cancellation comes from a variety of informed sources, additional verification occurred this week when a subscriber to the HyperCard mailing list posted news of a meeting involving Apple executives. Please note that this meeting occurred prior to the "Save HyperCard" mailing campaign.
Posted Nov. Nov. 14, 1998
MacOSDaily ArticleA satirical article titled "The Births and Deaths of HyperCard" has been posted at MacOSDaily. UPDATE: the web site is no longer there, but the author provided me with the text of his article.
Posted Nov. 14, 1998
iShell Promises Easy Cross-Platform
Delivery with QuickTime 3.0 Integration
One of the developers of Apple Media Tool has now created iShell, a new cross-platform media creation and delivery tool from Tribeworks. "With iShell, interactive media creators are limited only by their imagination, not by their programming skills," said Duncan Kennedy, president and CEO of Tribeworks. Apple's senior QuickTime product manager, Mitchell Weinstock, said, "We are excited about how effectively iShell can integrate media objects with QuickTime 3."
Posted Nov. 14, 1998
You'll find selected older news articles in my news archive.