[net.micro.mac] Apple Tech Notes

ephraim@wang.UUCP (pri=8 Ephraim Vishniac x76659 ms1459) (04/22/86)

Joel West writes:
> I cannot say strongly enough that everyone who's forked out $ for 
> Inside Mac should also send $25 for one year to
> 	Macintosh Technical Notes
> 	Apple Computer, Inc
> 	20525 Mariania Ave MS3-T
> 	Cupertino, CA  95014
> I'm not a certified developer, but I couldn't get by without these
> notes.  The software supplements are valuable, too, but at $25 a
> quarter, they're not as clear-cut a value.
> 
> Does anyone want to start a mod.mac.technotes?

Logically, Apple should.  They're on the net and they have the notes
in machine-readable form.  I'm not sure how this would be with respect
to netiquette, but I see that Commodore-Amiga is shameless about using
net.micro.amiga to provide technical support.  Thoughts, anybody?

ragge@duvan (04/30/86)

I dont think apple is on the net officially, it's only people there who
think it's fun who reads it. But I of course like the idea and think it would
be rather nice to have them nearer the rest of us like that. And i think it
should save them a little money for administration costs of the Technocal
notes and such (hot :-) stuff. Or?
	/ragge

rcopm@yabbie.OZ (Paul Menon) (05/05/86)

> > 
> > Does anyone want to start a mod.mac.technotes?
> 
> Logically, Apple should.  They're on the net and they have the notes
> in machine-readable form.  I'm not sure how this would be with respect
> to netiquette, but I see that Commodore-Amiga is shameless about using
> net.micro.amiga to provide technical support.  Thoughts, anybody?

    This proposition would benefit Apple in a few ways...
	*   By the volume of news about the Mac on the net, one could assume
	    that a large number (majority?) of Mac users/programmers
	    will be enlightened by their hypothetical broadcasts. As a result..
	*   The demands made upon Apple for this type of information by
	    customers would be reduced.  As a result...
	*   Overheads in producing (publishing) these reports would be reduced.
	    As a result...
	*   More free time/resources to invent a new computer.  As a result...
	*   More sales...aar...
	*   More queries about the new machine...aar...
	*   Isn't life wunnerful?

	*   Seriously, though, it will enable Apple to get this type of info
	    to those who need it quicker and cheaper than they are at the
	    moment.  Who knows what results this implies...
    
    The benfits to "us" are obvious...

    Paul Menon (down under...)

	    
D

rb@ccird1.UUCP (Rex Ballard) (05/09/86)

In article <800@wang.UUCP> ephraim@wang.UUCP (pri=8 Ephraim Vishniac x76659 ms1459) writes:
>Joel West writes:
>> Does anyone want to start a mod.mac.technotes?
>Logically, Apple should.  They're on the net and they have the notes
>in machine-readable form.  I'm not sure how this would be with respect
>to netiquette, but I see that Commodore-Amiga is shameless about using
>net.micro.amiga to provide technical support.  Thoughts, anybody?

Hey, CA isn't the only one.  Atari, Tandy, AT&T and TI among others
read their respective groups, keep readers posted, and look for
ideas that are useful, standards, and get a "feel" for how users
are reacting to their product.  CA took many of the net suggestions
for it's new version of Intuition.  Many companies actually encourage
employees to read and reply to the net.

Reading and responding to technical, or even policy questions is
not only acceptable, it is good for both the net and the company.
Atari, DRI, and CA even "fess up" to their mistakes :-).

As long as none of these companies' contributors gets into the
"Ours is better than theirs" and other "pitches", technical
information, sources and binaries (so long as there is no implied
charge), and various other support efforts should be welcomed.

In fact, Atari people have now made it possible for Amiga developers
to port their products to the ST (actually, you have to have
linkable modules or something like that).  This kind of co-operation
is very nice :-).

If Apple is on the net and wants to make contributions, by all means
let them do so.  They don't even need a special group, just put
their company name on the "Organization" line.

Frankly, I'm impartial, we have a Mac, are looking at Amiga, and
I plan on getting an ST for home.  Any chance of Mac users using
uu{en,de}code like the rest of us?

bass@dmsd.UUCP (05/13/86)

In article <808@duvan>, ragge@duvan writes:
> I dont think apple is on the net officially, it's only people there who
> think it's fun who reads it. But I of course like the idea and think it would
> be rather nice to have them nearer the rest of us like that. And i think it
> should save them a little money for administration costs of the Technocal
> notes and such (hot :-) stuff. Or?
> 	/ragge

I asked tech support about being more active on usenet and they stood by
the party line that US Mail and MCI Mail (plus some internal dealer network)
are the ONLY supported channels ...  every thing else is PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT.

They quoted that they have a very small staff and that EACH mail interface
requires a commitment to training (they are all VERY different), a system
to interface to them (USENET requires UNIX which is not offically a tool
available to tech support), and people to read/respond to the traffic each
day (full time job for EACH network due to increased access by community),
lastly they ONLY support DEVELOPERS (most developers are supposed to
fork over the $$$ for MCI service IF they want access to tech support,
USENET is percieved to be JUST THE MASSES which are not supported by tech
support group -- IE see your dealer or developer friend).

Cann't blame them, but it would be nice if management at apple would increase
the overhead budget (or setup a fee service) for direct enduser support
for programmers (IE increase the size and scope of the tech support group).
I'm a developer, but don't have MCI Mail -- usenet access would be great.
How many other developers do you expect are part of USENET/UUCP-Net/ARPA-Net
and other networks with gateway access to mail? Is this number about
the same as MCI Mail accessable developers??

Can we gateway MCI mail to uucp mail???
-- 

John Bass (DBA: Fastime, DBA:DMS Design)
DMS Design (System Design, Performance and Arch Consultants)
{dual,fortune,polyslo,hpda}!dmsd!bass     (805) 546-9141