Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!mcvax!unido!laura!mp
From: mp@laura.UUCP (Michael Pickers)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hypercard
Subject: Re: HyperCard 1.1 and locked disks or volumes
Message-ID: <286@laura.UUCP>
Date: 8 Apr 88 08:35:44 GMT
References: <7969@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> <225@wundt.psy.vu.nl> <1463@csib.csi.UUCP>
Reply-To: mp@unido.UUCP (Michael Pickers)
Followup-To: comp.sys.mac.hypercard
Organization: University of Dortmund, W-Germany
Lines: 57
Keywords: version lagging
Summary: Europeans want new Versions fast

In article <1463@csib.csi.UUCP> jwhitnel@csib.UUCP (Jerry Whitnell) writes:
>
>I don't know if complaining will do much good.  The problem is one of
>translation.  The manauals and code all need to be translated into the
>appropiate language of your country.

This is true. But there are a lot of users around here, capable of reading
English. For example  I've been using the American version of Multifinder
long before it was available in W.-Germany. (I got my official copy on
January 22, 1988 , 5 mounth after I got the American version!)
I couldn't have used any color SW on my Mac II, distributed with the System
V4.1, without this (personal) upgrade (no color picker in German Sys V4.1!).

>In addition data/time conventions
>monatery symbols, etc. all need to be changed.  Changes need to be tested
>all of which takes time.

Wrong. Have you heard of the "International Utilities Package" ? Only the
system file needs to be changed for new countries to implement other
date, time, symbols etc.
For applications, only the menues need to be translated.

>The other choice is to delay everything until
>all the translations are ready.  Or perhaps you all could start speaking
>English and using dollars... :-).

No. I simply want to have the chance to get the new Version as fast as the
American community gets them. That means I take the English version immediatly
when it becomes available and switch to the local country version when the
translation of the menues has been done. I don't want to wait for the manuals
either. I feel happy if I can pick them up later!

What Apple should do is rush American Versions of any new SW releases
as fast to European dealers as they seem to do to American ones. Any
customer should have the chance to make a copy of the Programms if he
thinks it is worth the upgrade, even if it is English.

BTW: Sometimes the English version is even more usable than the (german) one.
     I.e. the German Multifinder searches for "Beenden" instead for "Quit"
     in the File menue. I think you can imagine what happens if I run
     English SW  and simply select shutdown (The majority of my SW is English!)
     Apple: Why not searching for both since there is a lot of SW not even
	    available in local country releases ?

>
>
>Jerry Whitnell				Been through Hell?
>Communication Solutions, Inc.		What did you bring back for me?
>						- A. Brilliant


          Michael Pickers
          Computer Science Department, University of Dortmund
          IRB - Informatik Rechner Betriebsgruppe
          4600 Dortmund 50, P.O. Box 500500, W.-Germany
          E-mail address UUCP: mp@unido.uucp (...uunet!unido!mp)
          BITNET: mp@unido.bitnet