Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!mailrus!cornell!uw-beaver!microsoft!stuartb
From: stuartb@microsoft.UUCP (Stuart Burden)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Applelink...
Keywords: What is it?
Message-ID: <138@microsoft.UUCP>
Date: 27 Dec 88 21:54:22 GMT
References: <1564@ucqais.uc.edu>
Reply-To: stuartb@microsoft.UUCP (Stuart Burden)
Organization: Microsoft Corp., Redmond WA
Lines: 52

In article <1564@ucqais.uc.edu> rainwatr@ucqais.uc.edu (Donald J. Rainwater) writes:
     | I've seen a number of postings from people who give an
     | Applelink address in their signature.  What is Applelink?
     | Is it something along the lines of this newsgroup?  What
     | does it provide that this group doesn't?

AppleLink is an information service, similar to Compu$erve, GEnie, MacNet
etc.  AppleLink runs as a subset of GE's worldwide network (in fact I
think the main storage for AppleLink is somewhere in Europe and the US
does the geosynchronous satellite trick for data.. like electronic
calasthenics (sp?) push that packet.. ack that packet... :-{) ).

AppleLink is not just simply a BBS (in fact it doesn't make a really good
BBS at all), it is designed as a mail system, information vendor (online
technical references), BBS (although I don't really think this is well
done.. ie: hard to navigate, no threads etc).  I forget how many thousands
of subscribers it has, but just searching for addresses containing Mac or
Apple will keep the 1200 baud lines a'humming for a long long while.

     | I'm responsible for the system programming/management of
     | two Mac labs on campus, so I'd really like to know about
     | this service if it would be of use to me.  Thanks in
     | advance.

It all depends on your needs.  If you want to know for example, the
various varieties of SCSI implementations and thier specifications with
relation to different Apple hardware, then AppleLink has that, and will
deliver articles on that subject pretty swiftly.

I prefer this group however.  The conversation is very broadly based, the
interaction is good, the response time is not all that wonderfull on the
uucp side, but not too bad and the information flow is much more copious
and visible (I think visibility is the key, visibility of dialog and
visibility of the Macspertise that is available here).  It's also a lot
cheaper than AppleLink.

A large number of vendors have AppleLink accounts, or your Apple
University rep might, ask if one of them will show you what it looks like
so you can get a feel for yourself, whether it is of value.

     | -- Don Rainwater, University of Cincinnati Computer Center

Stu.

__Paths to my door:_______________________
microsoft!stuartb@beaver.cs.washington.edu  -   Usual disclaimer, that all
microsoft!stuartb@uw-beaver.arpa            -   the above is pure fantasy
microsoft!stuartb@uunet.UU.NET              -       and Microsoft only
[DE01HB]stuartb@DASNET#   {from AppleLink}  -    gave me the Mountain Dew
stuartb@microsoft.uucp    {well connected}  -      to dream it all in a
D2012 {@applelink.apple.com - shared acct}  -        caffeine haze :-)
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