Xref: utzoo comp.sys.mac:50875 comp.sys.mac.programmer:13284
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!decwrl!shelby!neon!Kermit.Stanford.EDU!philip
From: philip@Kermit.Stanford.EDU (Philip Machanick)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: Inside Macintosh: Will we ever see a revised, updated edition?
Message-ID: <1990Mar18.214219.25419@Neon.Stanford.EDU>
Date: 18 Mar 90 21:42:19 GMT
References: <10938@bsu-cs.bsu.edu> <14532@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> <7202@goofy.Apple.COM> <7229@goofy.Apple.COM>
Sender: news@Neon.Stanford.EDU (USENET News System)
Reply-To: philip@pescadero.stanford.edu
Organization: Computer Science Department, Stanford University
Lines: 32

In article <10938@bsu-cs.bsu.edu>, mithomas@bsu-cs.bsu.edu (Michael
Thomas Niehaus) writes:
> > Phil and Dave's Excellent CD is not, and will not be available through
> > APDA. This is due to the fact that the CD contains several unfinished
> > or untested items that are considered too preliminary for general
> > distribution through APDA...
> >
> > Rick Fleischman
> 
> Yes, but APDA will ship preliminary documentation for other products without
> hesitation.  Here's an example: Macintosh Communications Toolbox.  The first
> beta documentation released was very hard to comprehend.  The sample code
> was nearly useless.  The manual contradicted itself in several places.  But
> it was still useful for the information it contained.
> 
> So put out Phil and Dave's CD anyway, label it beta, and we will be happy.
If you want more examples of "unsupported" things which have been sold through
APDA: Smalltalk-80 and Macintalk. The former was a Good Idea because it was
only of appeal to sophisticated programmers and was anyway replaced by good
commercial products. The latter was NOT a Good Idea, because Apple didn't think
about replacing it with a workable alternative (well, if they did, they haven't
done anything about it yet).

So: be consistent, Apple. If something is not currently supportable, but is
going to be part of a "finished" product, why not sell it with large red
disclaimers? You've done it before. This is a hell of a lot better than
selling an "unfinished" hack like Macintalk, complete with disclaimers, and
ignoring the fact that there are a lot of people who actually use it and would
be really happy if a "supported" version appeared.

Philip Machanick
philip@pescadero.stanford.edu