Path: utzoo!yunexus!geac!syntron!jtsv16!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!amdcad!ames!nrl-cmf!cmcl2!adm!smoke!gwyn
From: gwyn@smoke.BRL.MIL (Doug Gwyn )
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: ROMs (was Rev C)
Message-ID: <8805@smoke.BRL.MIL>
Date: 30 Oct 88 20:51:45 GMT
Article-I.D.: smoke.8805
References: <8810212050.aa01261@SMOKE.BRL.MIL> <1577@netmbx.UUCP> <8778@smoke.BRL.MIL> <16175@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> <19697@apple.Apple.COM>
Reply-To: gwyn@brl.arpa (Doug Gwyn (VLD/VMB) <gwyn>)
Organization: Ballistic Research Lab (BRL), APG, MD.
Lines: 39

In article <19697@apple.Apple.COM> keith@Apple.COM (Keith Rollin) writes:
>So why do you say "no longer"? What (besides the GS ROM listings) would you
>like to see?

The IIGS itself has pretty good documentation, although it should have
been available sooner to really have been useful.  The biggest problem
with Apple documentation occurs when one buys a peripheral, say a disk
drive, monitor, scanner, etc.  Usually the manual that accompanies it
might as well not have been written since in umpteen pages all it
really says is "plug in the obvious cables in the obvious places and
hope it works".  Interface and protocol specs are almost never given,
so one is unable to program the equipment oneself.  Presumably SOMEone
can obtain the necessary technical information, because eventually
a few commercial products might support the device, but no indication
is given how a normal customer (i.e. not a privileged developer) can
obtain this information.

Apple software products generally have even less useful documentation.
I don't recall seeing such critical information as file formats
described in recent software product manuals.

I'm sure that there is a need to include instructions for the "naive"
user, who may really be too dumb to figure out how to plug things
together or how to use menus.  However, there should ALSO be a card
included in the product package that can be mailed to obtain useful
technical information, for those that have a need for it.

What made the Apple II so successful in the first place was the
ability of Apple II owners or their neighbors to program the system
to do their unique tasks that no commercial developer would ever want
to spend time supporting.  For continued success this kind of
activity needs to be supported by Apple, simply by providing access
to the needed tools and information.

I've even heard a few Apple management types say publicly that Apple
wants to address the (thinking) individual in preference to the
(mindless) mass public.  If that is really true, as I would hope,
then you need to see that the individual has the means to develop
his own solutions using your products.