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From: johnston@oscar.ccm.udel.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.system
Subject: Re: ResEdit 2.1 & ResEditFixer:  summary (?)
Message-ID: <39635@nigel.ee.udel.edu>
Date: 20 Dec 90 02:39:01 GMT
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In article <1990Dec19.201415.6622@eng.umd.edu>, russotto@eng.umd.edu (Matthew T. Russotto) writes...
>In article <1990Dec18.065346.7002@wpi.WPI.EDU> macman@wpi.WPI.EDU (Chris Silverberg) writes:
>>In article an Greg@AppleLink.apple.com (Greg Marriott) writes:
>>
>>>Yea, don't you just *HATE IT* when companies don't distribute free 
>>>software fast enough...
>>
>>I didn't mean it like that... Apple distributes Resedit for FREE and I
>>*appreciate* that. If it were a commercial product, i would likely buy it.
>>As being a frequent Mac user, I've become attached to Resedit... it's
>>probably my most frequently used program.
>>
>>So what's my problem? My problem is that developers and user groups can just
>>dial up Applelike NOW and download the RELEASE version of Resedit. It's
>>not even beta. This is it. This is 2.1.
>>
>>Yet there are many of us here on the net that simply want to get our hands

>Consider this a slam against someone at Apple:  America OnLine, CI$, GEnie,

[ blah, blah, blah ]

>(In my more cynical moments, I think they are deliberately delaying releasing
>it electronically until the first of the year, so they can be assured of
>more license fees.)

More license fees?  For ResEdit?  When 1.2 was offered for something
like $12 for the past few years, and that was only if you needed documentation?

Has it occured to anybody that maybe they'd like to just have a few weeks 
to get the damn manuals printed ???  The "Get Info" box says that the damn
thing was finished less than two weeks ago.  And why shouldn't developers 
and APDA members get first crack?  

I can easily understand why Apple would want to control ResEdit distribution.
It is very easy to screw up with ResEdit; why should Apple have to deal with
a chorus of complaints from users who crash hard disks, trash applications,
and smash .... well enough with the poetry.

Apple also has the right to attempt to standardize the release version of
the product;  the ResEdit 2.1 package which I was 'shown' by a developer
includes a very nice set of example files, and even some instructions 
as to how to use them.  Even freeware and shareware authors place certain
restrictions on distribution in order to assure that his or her product
is fairly represented.

Instead of pointing the finger at the 'greedy profiteers' I'm inclined to
commend Apple for having the good sense to stay out of the way.  Try posting 
a "me too" for an IBM or MS-DOS software update and see where you'd end up.

-- Bill Johnston; 38 Chambers St.; Newark, DE 19711; (302)368-1949
   (johnston@oscar.ccm.udel.edu)