I remember HyperCard. Nobody could really describe it, but like anything new and powerful, somebody would do some app in HyperCard and change everybodys views and expectations on it. (For example, when ID did Wolf3d on the PC, nobody thought the PC could really do games since it didn’t have dedicated hardware like the Amiga).
HyperCard had it’s flaws. For example, on the new Macintosh II in the late 80’s, HyperCard didn’t work so well since it (and a few other apps by Apple), expected a black-white original Mac screen. They would draw a mess on the screen instead of nice graphics.
Still, a neat program and it shows how Apple innovates, and then drops the ball. Apple engineers clearly had a “Not Invented Here” bent after their success. They also tended to not follow through on products or respond to competition.
What if they followed through and improved HyperCard (or their development environments). Imagine if HyperCard started using TCP/IP back then…