Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!peregrine!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!apple!bc
From: bc@Apple.COM (bill coderre)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: Why doesn't Apple support their users and developers?
Message-ID: <47122@apple.Apple.COM>
Date: 5 Dec 90 19:09:43 GMT
References: <1CE00001.a8frf3@tbomb.ice.com>
Organization: personally, I wish I were
Lines: 29

I just want to point out two things:

* Links/Emails sent to MacDTS by unregistered developers currently
produce a form letter asking for verification as an Apple
Partner/Associate. Thus, if you aren't one of them, you won't get an
answer.

* APDA (supposedly the Apple Program Developers' Association) is
supremely un-technically oriented. They don't sell the current
versions of software (Macsbug), but do sell ridiculously outdated
items that no longer reflect reality (Multifinder documentation).
Additionally, asking an APDA clerk will produce random answers. The
clerks have no idea what they are talking about.  No one you can talk
to there has any technical clue. I have heard of them telling a
developer that they didn't carry a certain item. Yes, they were
absolutely sure. Of course, when asked about the availability of that
same item -- mentioned by part number -- they said, sure, they had
plenty of them. 

Mind you, one you do become a registered developer, the situation
changes drastically. Apple tries hard to give you plenty of stuff,
even to the point of sending out stuff that probly shoulda been
debugged for a few more days.

And is there anyone out there who believes that the current line of
technical documentation is easy-to-use, up-to-date, or even merely
ADEQUATE? If so, have you ever read it or tried to use it?

bill coderre
now an apple employee. but most certainly not a spokesperson