2003.04.18--The question and answer remain, for the moment, the same:
Q: When will Helix 6.0 be released?
A: We don't know yet.
Last time, we asked you to direct your attention to the Forums. It's hardly been two weeks since we opened them, so it's a bit early to make any assumptions about how they're working out.
What needs to be clear to everyone using these Forums is that their purpose is--for the moment--to help us define and refine specifications for the upcoming OS X version of Helix. Our intention is to review each topic area periodically and condense the information that's been posted there into a working specification. Once we deem each item to be properly specified, it can become an action item and get done.
We'e already opened a few topics on the Forums to get feedback on such issues as how users will feel if we abandon AppleTalk or what the absence of Publish and Subscribe will mean for their applications.
There are, as always, at least two items on the agenda in any new version of software: bugs and features. Helix 6 is no exception. We've already told you that the so-called features are further broken down into three categories:
(a) Trivial in appearance
(b) Big
(c) How much? How long?
Please note that just because something appears on one of these lists does not necessarily mean that it will become a new feature of Helix or a bug that gets fixed in the next version. In fact, what most of the items on our list have in common is that they are things we all believe must happen for Helix 6 to be successful. There are other "features" we'd really love to have, but the things we've put on these lists so far are--in the long run--the right choices for our future. An example will hopefully illustrate.
The main item under the heading "Bugs" is:
TCP/IP "Fix" & Implementation.
It is the opinion of this Team that the current implementation of TCP/IP in Helix--if somehow simply brought to OS X as is--will cripple any chance of Helix's success. So before there could be a Helix 6, there had to be an understanding of how best to fix this problem.
Our two logical alternatives were (a) to improve the code we had or (b) pull it out and replace it with more robust and versatile code. Since none of us had the level of TCP/IP expertise needed to make such a decision, we sought outside help.
We soon learned that while either option would be very expensive, replacing our code ultimately would be the better option. However, to avail ourselves of this option would require an arduous process of modernizing parts of our source code so we could use a much newer version of CodeWarrior than the one we were using
We will very soon be nearing a place in our plans where we can, finally, hand off the rest of the TCP/IP work to another team. The arduous process alluded to above is nearly complete. It will still cost quite a bit of money, but we've managed to cut the estimated cost by nearly a third with the work we've done so far. If you're really interested in seeing this work get done, interested to the point where you might be willing to set aside money in a fund specifically targeted to that part of the project, please contact Gil to discuss it.
Until next time, please continue to use our Forums, and check here periodically for Helix 6 status updates. More to come...