Manx Software Systems
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software development |
| Founder | Harry Suckow, Thomas Fenwick, James Goodnow II |
| Headquarters | Shrewsbury , United States |
| Products | Aztec C compiler |
Aztec C was a commercially marketed C language compiler developed by Manx Software Systems, now discontinued. It supported multiple platforms including CP/M-80, MS-DOS, the Apple II (compatible with both Apple DOS 3.3 and ProDOS), Commodore 64, early versions of the Macintosh, Amiga, and Atari ST.
History
During the 1980s, Manx Software Systems, based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, created C compilers targeting various systems such as CP/M, Apple II, IBM PC compatible machines, and the Macintosh.
The company was established by Harry Suckow alongside partners Thomas Fenwick and James Goodnow II, who were the main developers. Concentrating on compiler technology amid the expanding personal computer industry, Manx dedicated itself to Aztec C’s advancement. Suckow left previous endeavors to concentrate fully on Manx and its compiler projects. Chris Macey contributed briefly to development focused on 80XX processors.
Aztec C gained early recognition due to its floating-point capabilities in the Z80 compiler, a feature that was subsequently added to the Apple II version.
When the industry shifted towards ANSI C compliance around 1989, Robert Sherry represented Manx in the ANSI standards committee and worked on resolving numerous compiler bugs following the departures of Macey and Fenwick.
By this period, Microsoft’s dominant strategy within the IBM PC compatible compiler market marginalized Aztec C. Simultaneously, competition intensified from Apple's MPW C on Macintosh and Lattice C on Amiga platforms, further diminishing Aztec C’s market share.
In 1989, Fenwick moved to Microsoft, while Goodnow gradually withdrew from Manx. Macey returned temporarily as a consultant before transitioning to another firm.
Throughout the 1990s, Manx continued to develop Aztec C with an eye toward embedded systems programming. Nevertheless, shrinking market presence and the decline of key platforms—including various 6502-based machines, Atari, and Amiga—led to their eventual disappearance by the decade’s end.
Jeff Davis and Mike Spille supported Suckow in maintaining company operations until its closure. Harry Suckow remains the copyright holder of Aztec C.
Despite its obsolescence, Aztec C retained a loyal group of developers until it ceased active use.
Reception
In its February 1989 issue, BYTE commended Aztec C for its portability under DOS and for generating some of the smallest executable files available. However, it criticized the compiler for underperforming in benchmark tests and cited unusual library bugs for a product considered mature. The review summarized that "Aztec C suffers more than it benefits from its long and diverse heritage."
Legacy
Aztec C continues to be under copyright protection held by Harry Suckow.
Several native Aztec C compilers are freely accessible online for platforms such as the Apple II (both DOS 3.3 and ProDOS 8), along with versions for the Amiga, MS-DOS, and a limited cross-compiler from MS-DOS targeting Apple II ProDOS 8.