In going through some old papers, I ran across these very interesting documents from long ago that I can't seem to find public reference to. They seem to offer some important historical insight about the Dylan language. This is from back when Dylan was called Ralph as a working title. In those days, the still-being-designed Lisp-like language had not yet moved to an infix syntax, and it looked and acted more like Scheme with an object system similar in spirit to CLOS (the Common Lisp Object System).

My understanding is that there were some fairly deliberate choices made to NOT target the Lisp or Scheme community as users, which is part of why the move to infix. I think they wanted to appeal to a disaffected C++ crowd, but ultimately lost out to Java for that bid, and then having left the Lisp user base behind, ended up with a very small community as a result.

But I still think there could be things the Scheme community would want to glean from this snapshot of history.

I've included a scan of an email proposal I got from Dave Moon while he and I were at Symbolics, with his proposal for how to add conditions to the language. Note that Dylan did eventually go public and did have a condition system, so you could also just study that design directly. But what's useful here is to see how all that looked syntactically in a Scheme-like syntax. But, in that regard, I recommend starting by looking at the language itself.

[0] Ralph: A Dynamic Language with Efficient Application Delivery, by Andrew LM Shalit, July 25, 1991.
https://nhplace.com/kent/History/dylan/ralph-1991-07-25.pdf

[1] Ralph Conditions (part 1 of 2)
https://nhplace.com/kent/History/dylan/ralph-moon-conditions-proposal-v1.1-part-1-of-2-1991-08-14.pdf

[2] Ralph Conditions (part 2 of 2)
https://nhplace.com/kent/History/dylan/ralph-moon-conditions-proposal-v1.1-part-2-of-2-1991-08-14.pdf

cc @sigue @ramin_hal9001 @screwlisp

#DylanLang #RalphLang #ComputerHistory #Harlequin #Lisp #CommonLisp #ConditionSystem #ConditionHandling #ErrorSystem #Scheme #SchemeLang #CLOS #AppleHistory #KentsHistoryProject

42 years ago today (1984), Apple released the Apple IIc.

It was their first “portable” computer — sort of. No built-in display or battery, but compact, lightweight, and ready to go with a handle. Basically the MacBook Air of its floppy-disk era.

#AppleIIc #RetroComputing #AppleHistory #VintageTech #apple

Happy Birthday, Apple //c.

4/24/1984 -- 42 years

#AppleIIc #AppleII #Apple2forever #Apple #applehistory #techhistory #tech #technology #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing #retrocomputers #CRT #photo #dither #Atkinsondithering #officespace #desk #vintage

Thank you David Pogue for your enjoyable presentation! David recalled favorite anecdotes while writing “Apple: The First 50 Years,” recounted little-known Apple stories, touched on notable points in Apple’s history, and even sang a few Apple parody songs he made!

PMUG members may now watch the recorded presentation and download links from the Members’ Area. https://bit.ly/4bjjACs

#davidPogue #author #apple #appleHistory #computerHistory

Wow! I’ve never heard of "General Magic" before. A fascinating short documentary about a company whose people, products and ideas were simply too far ahead of their time.

#Apple #AppleHistory

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYQfTwQANbw

The heat sink that sunk the Apple III.

https://youtu.be/1oh8EKOB2e8?si=IXEJphzq65MD3_DT

#computerhistory #AppleHistory

Bruce the Yak was Final Cut Pro’s Dogcow

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://512pixels.net/2026/04/bruce-the-yak-final-cut/

Tech author David Pogue talks about his new book, “Apple: The First 50 Years” when he speaks at PMUG’s zoom meeting next Tuesday, April 14. Non-member “seats” available. More: https://bit.ly/3NvECEH

#davidPogue #author #apple #appleHistory #computerHistory

For $200 more, you can get a MacBook Air
Joanna Stern talks Apple’s most imitated product.

https://www.theverge.com/tech/901698/macbook-air-history

#apple #applenews #macbook #macbooknews #portablecomputer #macbookair #macbookairnews #tech #technews #appleproducts #macbookairhistory #applehistory #macbookhistory #apple50thanniversary

Emmy-winning correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning, computer panelist host, and host of 20 NOVA science specials David Pogue will talk tech with clarity and wit when he joins us for PMUG’s April 14th Zoom meeting — he will discuss his new book on Apple’s 50 years of history. Non-member “seats” available.
More: https://bit.ly/3NvECEH

#davidPogue #apple #apple50 #appleHistory #techHistory #computerHistory