With the release of the Mac IIci and the Portable in September, Apple also announced a system upgrade to 6.0.4 and HyperCard 1.2.5. Both products were stated by Apple to be for the new machines and that: “The installed base does not have to upgrade.....”. The press release also stated that System Software versions 6.0.2, 6.0.3, and 6.0.4 will co-exist in networks. You will need the new system to use HyperCard 1.2.5. The release made no announcement as to function changes in either the System Software or HyperCard 1.2.5. The press releases, compatibility list and a complete description of change are on the BBS. A summary of changes from a non-programmer’s standpoint is contained in another article in this issue. A change not mentioned in that article is that If
-- part contents for card part 2
----- text -----
you hold down the option key while opening a folder, the folder’s parent window will close. That’s a minor, but useful feature to eliminate some desktop clutter.
If you do upgrade, Apple states you need to upgrade to version 1.2.5 of HyperCard. Some are still using earlier versions and report no problems. My recollection is of hearing that problems in using earlier versions of HyperCard surface mainly with large Stacks. However, my recollector is not functioning entirely properly lately. HyperCard 1.2.5 is reported as mandatory for the new machines (the Portable and the Mac IIci), but will not work on earlier machines. I don’t know yet whether stacks created with HyperCard 1.2.5 can