Where's Your Internet Strategy, Apple?
April 13, 1997
by: Bryan Chaffin (bchaffin@webintosh.com)
I can see the billboards now. Kate Moss (or any other super-model) stretched out naked looking very forlorn, unhappy, and miserable (kind of a stretch, I know, but stay with me). The caption would read "I'd rather go naked than be without Cyberdog." I realize that the "threat" of a naked Kate Moss (or any other super-model) might not help all that much in securing our cybercanine friend's stay of execution. Perhaps I should be the one who is naked instead of a super-model, that might really scare the powers-that-be at Apple. I also realize that hiring Ms. Moss (or any other super-model) might be a bit out my price-range (donations anybody?), but one way or another, I want to continue fighting the losing battle of saving Cyberdog.
With OpenDoc's demise, many of you may be saying "What's your deal? Give it up!". I will agree that the low road certainly has its attractive side (nobody snickering at my hair-brained schemes, more money in my pocket from not hiring super-models and such), the problem is Cyberdog is just too cool. On top of this innate coolness is the fact Apple has absolutely no Internet strategy without Cyberdog. With the plan of embedding Cyberdog (via OpenDoc) into the OS, Apple had a clear vision which is belatedly coming to fruition in Tempo. Quick, powerful, easy to use, Cyberdog completely embodies Apple's image.
It is very possible that Dr. Amelio and the (remaining) fine folks in Cupertino have something entirely different planned. If Apple does have an alternate strategy, I hope it does not include Netscape. Navigator has been turning into mega-bloatware at a pace that has left many people at Microsoft saying "Wow! How'd you guys do that?". Apple cannot rely on Netscape when Netscape's strategy and resources have been centered around taking control of the desktop away from Microsoft. Speaking of Microsoft, Apple could always turn to Microsoft Internet Explorer as their Internet solution. If Apple were to do that then this conversation will have turned somewhat moot as I would certainly be dead or in a coma.
When you get right down to it, Cyberdog is the only candidate who can even lay a paw's claw to the title of "Hey! I'm here too!". Cyberdog has earned this hard won status despite the fact that it was a slow-running, crash-prone, ineffectual, HTML 2.0-compliant puppy that spent far too much time chasing its own tail rather than working for you. With the comparative success Cyberdog has earned while still a puppy, just imagine what accolades it will garner under Tempo.
I am not an engineer and am ignorant of the technical feasibility of doing so, but I think that Apple would be well-advised to port, change, or adapt Cyberdog to run native in Rhapsody. I understand that OpenDoc on Rhapsody simply won't happen, but Apple needs a fully featured Cyberdog that can do the following: read the sender's name on incoming email, use a notebook for storage, use a paw instead of a hand to denote links, let you connect to a URL by highlighting it and choosing "connect to selected URL," let you attach files by dragging them into the body of your email, in short, a program that behaves like Cyberdog. They can make it with Java, JavaBeans, or even BASIC for all I care, just please make it.
Windows '97... errr, I mean Windows '98 is going to have a considerable Internet advantage over the Mac OS and Rhapsody with its True Web integration via the Active Desktop and Internet Explorer 4.0. So take heed Apple; resurrect Cyberdog or we'll have Kate Moss, some other super-model, or me run around Cupertino. One of us will be as naked as the day is long. |
