Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!batcomputer!cornell!vax5.cit.cornell.edu!umh
From: umh@vax5.cit.cornell.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.system
Subject: Re: System 7.0 and Free Manuals
Message-ID: <1991Apr28.092559.4307@vax5.cit.cornell.edu>
Date: 28 Apr 91 09:25:59 EDT
References: <1991Apr27.030039.20417@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> <1991Apr27.043528.27235@cbnewsk.att.com>
Distribution: comp
Organization: CIT, Cornell University
Lines: 53

In article <1991Apr27.043528.27235@cbnewsk.att.com>,
ech@cbnewsk.att.com (ned.horvath) writes: 
> From article <1991Apr27.030039.20417@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>, by dlarkins@magnus.ircc.ohio-state.edu (Darrell B Larkins):
> 
>> Being a student, I can really relate. I don't think that's asking too much
>> of apple. I mean surely you don't believe that they don't use a Mac WP package
>> probably run through PageMaker or Xpress to print up their manuals, it'd be
>> really hard to make those available to ftp.apple.com huh?
> 
> Being a former student, I get tired of hearing how everything ought to be
> free just because that would be convenient.  The manuals on 7.0b4 come to
> 9.5 Mb -- that's just the USER documentation, never mind IM VI.  That's a
> lot of net bandwidth to save you a few bucks.  And what are you going
> to do with that after you ftp it to your local site?  Hmm, let me guess:
> burn out one of the University's LaserWriter toner cartridges making
> yourself a "free" copy.  Which you will skim and pitch, because this is
> doc written for Gassee's Mom, who wants detailed instructions just to
> get the floppies out of the box.
> 
> If you want a quality, inexpensive upgrade to 7.0, go to the next couple
> of user group meetings.  You'll learn all the hot shit about the hot new
> features, you'll get a nice set of 7.0 floppies for the price of the
> floppies, and you'll save a few trees and most of your bucks, and you'll
> meet the techNerds who already know all this stuff and will help you get
> 7.0 out of the box.  This is the HIGH ROAD to system 7 -- if you're a
> student, you've got ENOUGH to read already, right?
> 
> And watch this space, the interesting bugs and braindamage aren't
> documented, but we'll talk about 'em here...
> 
> =Ned Horvath=
> Professional Student (ret.)
> ehorvath@attmail.com

This is a totally unwarranted flame.
1) What is this mythical bandwidth being burned up by 9.5 Meg? The phone lifes
for the internet exist and are dedicated full time- they are going to have to
be replaced faster if they get used more. If someone is worried about people
with *real* work being slowed down by lots of Mac Dosumentation transfering,
put a timer in the ftp server at apple.com that only allows downloads between
8pm and 7am.

2) Why do you assume this guy is immediately going to print out all these docs
that he has explicitly stated he will read just once. Maybe he, like me, has
most of his documentation on line in his Mac, not printed, because that way
it's faster to find something.

3) Apple tries to give the impression that system software is not there to make
money for them. They imply that the cost of system 7 is for distribution
printing and such. In that case, this guy's request is perfectly reasonable- it 
costs apple nothing and makes the lives of some of us easier.

Maynard Handley