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From: dmcintee@netxcom.UUCP (Dave McIntee)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer,comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Inside Mac
Message-ID: <1018@netxcom.UUCP>
Date: 27 Oct 88 16:23:37 GMT
References: <19358@apple.Apple.COM> <234@lloyd.camex.uucp>
Reply-To: dmcintee@netxcom.UUCP (Dave McIntee)
Organization: NetExpress Communications, Inc., Vienna, VA
Lines: 38

The arguments seen in this forum in favor of a loose-leaf format, and 
those in favor of a bound edition are both valid, so Apple must decide 
carefully.

As a proprietary operating system, unlike Unix, the Macintosh OS is
free to evolve as Apple sees fit. They alone determine its future course,
for better or worse. While the system is very usable today, there is
sure to be a steady improvement in the years ahead. The issue is how to
best manage the dissemination of information regarding 1) changes to the
OS, and 2) the complete current documentation set at any given moment.
These two objectives should be as economical and as useful to both Apple 
and the development community as possible.

Considering all this, I feel that the approach taken by other vendors of
proprietary systems would be best for Apple: That is, a loose-leaf
documentation set which can be updated as needed, with the updates
provided from one source, probably Apply Computer, on an annual
subscription basis. This is provided the update subscription fee is
reasonable, say in the $25-50 per annum range, so the individual 
hobbiest will not be squeezed out.

Developers who choose to purchase the documentation set but not subscribe
to the annual subscription service, can of course do so, and should be
able to, at any future time, obtain an update set to bring them up to
date. The cost of this should be somewhere between the annual rate and
the wholesale price for the entire document. This will protect their
investment without forcing participation in the annual service.

With this approach, the system can evolve as quickly as appropriate,
and everyone's documentation will be current and consistant.

As for Tech Notes, perhaps they go away, but that's another matter.

-- 
Dave McIntee
NetExpress Communications, Inc.	  	Phone: (703)749-2380
1953 Gallows Road, Suite 300		uunet!netxcom!dmcintee
Vienna, VA 22180