buyse@convex.UUCP (04/06/88)
I disagree with your assertion that aftermarket manuals have anything to
do with software piracy.
Those manuals are sold (in my view), to give clearer descriptions of the
functionality of a program that the documentation may have muddled, to
give the user additional information that is not IN the manual (such as
how to configure spreadsheet XYZ to calculate and amortization loan), and
also, to give a potential buyer a host of information on the product in
order to determine whether it will do what he needs.
I personally have used the latter several times. Buying a $15 book is
considerably more cost effective than buying the $100+ program only to
discover that it is inadequate.
-Russell Buyse.
UUCP: {allegra,ihnp4,uiucdcs,ctvax}!convex!buyse