Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!helios!tamunix!n023el
From: n023el@tamunix (Robert Ellis)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.handhelds
Subject: Re: 48SX ROM Versions & SYSEVALs
Message-ID: <6261@helios.TAMU.EDU>
Date: 30 Jun 90 15:49:50 GMT
References: <6236@helios.TAMU.EDU> <42507@apple.Apple.COM>
Sender: usenet@helios.TAMU.EDU
Organization: Texas A&M University
Lines: 45

In article <42507@apple.Apple.COM> dan@Apple.COM (Dan Allen) writes:
>I remember when I was a math student, and money was hard to come by.  I
>still thought nothing of earning $1000 and buying an HP-75C which gave
>me quite an education in itself.  I also earned $2000 and bought a
>Macintosh in 1984 when they first came out, when I was still a student.

I can easily identify with what you did because it describes my current
situation. After all, I also proudly own a 48SX. 


>Now that I am an engineer at a Real Life company, and I earn less than
>six figures I can assure you, I think that the HP-48SX is a very
>reasonable machine for the money.  HP is not making lots of money on it
>either, I can assure you, as the cost for a team of software developers
>is not cheap like the hardware is.
>
>Before you go flaming the net and HP, get more education, get a job at a
>Real World company, and I think you will understand why things are the
>way they are.  Not that they are the best, I grant you, but all things
>considered, the HP-48SX took a lot of individual committment from
>engineers that cared about making a great product.  
>
>Dan Allen
>Apple Computer

I am well aware of the immense cost of developing high tech products such
as the 48SX, and in view of the positive tone of your response, I feel a
proper explanation is due.
 
The point of concern I was addressing was the seemingly unethical practice
of allowing design team members who are priviledged to inside information
to profit from the sell of after market user reference guides which they
write. 

Why were their efforts not fully utilized during the time when the 48's
accompanying reference material was undergoing preperation?

You will have to admit that the reference material with which the 48SX
comes is poorly indexed, and inundated with mistakes. One might go so
far as to say Hewlett-Packard is unwittingly encouraging carelessness
in this area by allowing employees to publish. 

The bottom line is that the need for after market support material could
have been completely unnecessary had Hewlett-Packard taken the time and
care to do it right.