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Building a Hypercard-like tool specifically for iPad would be a great idea for a start-up.

by aresant 17y ago

orangecat 17y ago
Except that Apple specifically prohibits interpreted code. You'd have to do a web-based Javascript version which could be interesting, but performance would be much worse than a native app.
- aaronblohowiak 17y ago
  hypercard was never about performance
- mcav 17y ago
  Javascript performance could easily exceed the performance of HyperCard back in the day, in absolute speed.
  - stcredzero 17y ago
    Could? Javascript is one of the better VMs. It's easily faster than hypercard from back in the day.
- jcromartie 17y ago
  There are a few ways around this: First is to say "screw it" and interpret code anyway. Many apps do this. If the language was stripped down enough (say, like HyperCard) it might not be an issue at all. The second is to run the code somewhere else (on a server) and return the result to the UI on the iPad.
- rufo 17y ago
  You mean like http://tilestack.com/ http://tilestack.com/?
- wallflower 17y ago
  Checkout what RhoMobile is doing - basically a scaled-down version of Ruby and web server serving up content in native app container. The drawbacks are that there is zero access to native UIKit controls (e.g. the flick, gravity feel) http://rhomobile.com http://rhomobile.com
gte910h 17y ago
Actually, apple tends to reject apps built on app generating toolkits. You have to compile all the way down to code before you are passing that issue. Appcelerator's titanium is looking to be a good choice for some people. It's a little light on video playback abilities for my taste, but it's showing promise (I'm primary using it for android but it's iPhone capabile too).
- wallflower 17y ago
  And they have started to reject cookie-cutter RSS apps, as well. By raising the bar of "quality", they will get more "quality" in the AppStore. http://techcrunch.com/2010/03/07/apple-cookie-cutter-apps/ http://techcrunch.com/2010/03/07/apple-cookie-cutter-apps/
wallflower 17y ago
A Hypercard-like tool for Android that hides its ghastly Java underpinnings might be able to level the playing field more.
- sketerpot 17y ago
  App Inventor sounds like it was designed to do that: http://sites.google.com/site/appinventorhelp/ http://sites.google.com/site/appinventorhelp/ (Fun fact: Hal Abelson is now working with Google on App Inventor. That would explain why it has some Scheme code underneath.)
arethuza 17y ago
Do you think that content would have to be available as a native app or would a web based solution be good enough?

Building a Hypercard-like tool specifically for iPad would be a great idea for a start-up.

by aresant 17y ago

Building a Hypercard-like tool specifically for iPad would be a great idea for a start-up.

Except that Apple specifically prohibits interpreted code. You'd have to do a web-based Javascript version which could be interesting, but performance would be much worse than a native app.

aaronblohowiak 17y ago
hypercard was never about performance
mcav 17y ago
Javascript performance could easily exceed the performance of HyperCard back in the day, in absolute speed.
- stcredzero 17y ago
  Could? Javascript is one of the better VMs. It's easily faster than hypercard from back in the day.
jcromartie 17y ago
There are a few ways around this: First is to say "screw it" and interpret code anyway. Many apps do this. If the language was stripped down enough (say, like HyperCard) it might not be an issue at all. The second is to run the code somewhere else (on a server) and return the result to the UI on the iPad.
rufo 17y ago
You mean like http://tilestack.com/ http://tilestack.com/?
wallflower 17y ago
Checkout what RhoMobile is doing - basically a scaled-down version of Ruby and web server serving up content in native app container. The drawbacks are that there is zero access to native UIKit controls (e.g. the flick, gravity feel) http://rhomobile.com http://rhomobile.com

gte910h 17y ago

Actually, apple tends to reject apps built on app generating toolkits. You have to compile all the way down to code before you are passing that issue. Appcelerator's titanium is looking to be a good choice for some people. It's a little light on video playback abilities for my taste, but it's showing promise (I'm primary using it for android but it's iPhone capabile too).

wallflower 17y ago
And they have started to reject cookie-cutter RSS apps, as well. By raising the bar of "quality", they will get more "quality" in the AppStore. http://techcrunch.com/2010/03/07/apple-cookie-cutter-apps/ http://techcrunch.com/2010/03/07/apple-cookie-cutter-apps/

wallflower 17y ago

A Hypercard-like tool for Android that hides its ghastly Java underpinnings might be able to level the playing field more.

sketerpot 17y ago
App Inventor sounds like it was designed to do that: http://sites.google.com/site/appinventorhelp/ http://sites.google.com/site/appinventorhelp/ (Fun fact: Hal Abelson is now working with Google on App Inventor. That would explain why it has some Scheme code underneath.)

arethuza 17y ago

Do you think that content would have to be available as a native app or would a web based solution be good enough?