Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!lll-winken!ames!claris!apple!chuq
From: chuq@Apple.COM (Chuq Von Rospach)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: MS Word 4.0
Message-ID: <29473@apple.Apple.COM>
Date: 24 Apr 89 21:20:21 GMT
References: <12394@ut-emx.UUCP>
Organization: Life is just a Fantasy novel played for keeps
Lines: 17

>Does anyone OTHER than a beta-tester, reviewer, etc., actually have ver. 4.0
>in hand yet?  I am especially curious about users at universities--do your
>microcomputer stores have it yet?  I have heard (from someone at Microsoft)
>that it went "golden" at the begining of last week, and that production
>should have started at the end of last week.  Theoretically, it should be in
>the stores starting this week, right?  The sales rep at the UT microcenter
>seemed to think it would be a while, however.  Any news out there?

Nope. Duplication/packaging is likely to take a little longer than that, and
Microsoft has committed that initial packages will go to people who are
upgrading, so retail distribution won't start until the initial units for
the upgrade are done. I think a few reviewers have gotten early copies, but
they weren't shrink-wrapped and I believe the disks were hand-generated.

I wouldn't expect Word 4 to be commercially available for a few weeks. There
is a large pent up demand for upgrades, and until they have those shipping I
doubt they'll start shipping to retailers. Which only makes sense.