Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!rochester!pt.cs.cmu.edu!andrew.cmu.edu!aa0s+ From: aa0s+@andrew.cmu.edu (Adel Talaat Assaad) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac Subject: Apple's APDA: G'bye Amateurs & Fans Message-ID: Date: 31 Jan 89 18:31:56 GMT Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA Lines: 43 Hi, I just received the first APDAlog from the "NEW & AMENDED" APDA run by Apple, and boy did I dislike what I saw. They charge membership, and THEN charge RETAIL for everything. Some prices went up 125% (TechNotes) and the shipping and handling charge makes it sound like you should have D. Trump's fortune to deal with them. They specifically make you state that you are repesenting yourself as a "developer of computer software and/or hardware with substantial experience in computer programming (which I do) and in USING PROGRAMMER TOOLS AND UTILITIES (which I don't want to be)." Say it ain't so Apple: Say you are not EXPLICITLY excluding the amateurs and advanced amateurs who do not wish to have any DIRECT support but enjoyed all the convenience of what APDA used to represent! Opinion:The unnecessary (and unimpressive) glitz and articles in the APDAlog which now tries to pause as a "communication channel" reflects such a corporate-oriented snobbery, sort of telling you don't bother to come in touch with us unless you have BIIIG plans and think really BIIIG. (Incidentally, I think Sue Espinosa's article about "why the take over" didn't have any substance to an ordinary human. Their pre-release software will have the same bugs, the manuals will not be any more legible, and their prices aren't any cheaper. So what's so "efficient or beautiful" about the move.) Oh well! I guess it had to happen one day. I feel like I now have to deal with "BIG BLUE" and "BIG PLATINUM". But I don't! And I won't glorify a company which dosn't pay attention to me. (much less give them $20.00 a year to cover "their costs", when they are actually making a hefty 39% profit on every Inside mac book they sell!!!) How does everbody out there feel about this? I'd like to know, since I could be overreacting to a bad week or something. Incidentally, will the new TechAlliance cover the gap, i.e. cater to the needs of amateurs who do not wish to have any "representations", including providing them with developement tools, etc...? Adel Assaad CMU, PGH PA.