[comp.sys.mac] MacUser Capsules

briand@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM (Brian Diehm) (01/18/90)

>>Fred Proctor writes about filling in a request for a subscription to 
>>MacWorld, promptly followed by calls from a collection agency rather
>>than the free mousepad and complimentary issue promised.  Other folk 
>>have chimed in that they too have experienced such things with MacWorld.
>
>I filled out one of these cards too but nothing happened.  Then one day, I
>started receiving the Magazine.  I looked at the mailing label and it
>indicates the subscription ends in 1992.  I've been receiving it for
>a few months now but I haven't seen a bill nor a mouse pac.  I'm worried
>that in 1992 they'll send me a big bill.

Probably your filling out the card is totally unrelated to your receipt of
the rag. MacWorld started sending me a subscription at work, totally out of
the blue, without any communication from me.

Junk mail, in effect. They know best what their stuff is worth.

It's still showing up, and no bill. Apparently they "qualified" me for a free
subscription without my expending any energy.

----------

On another topic, when MacUser started, they published in every issue a yellow-
pages section at the back of the magazine. This had capsule reviews of EVERY
Mac software product being produced (at least that was their aim). They gave
each mouse rating, a few-line review, listed the publisher, list price, and
noted copy protection.

It got huge, and MacUser got to look more like MacWorld (advertisers 7,
readers and content, 0). So MacUser said they were going to be updating the
yellow pages section only once every three months.

Since then, zip. Nothing. Several months. Yesterday they sent me a renewal
notice. Trashville - that yellow pages section was the only differentiating
feature of the magazine. Even if I didn't always agree with their views, it
was a handy place to get a listing of all the available products of a certain
type.

-- 
-Brian Diehm
Tektronix, Inc.                (503) 627-3437         briand@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM
P.O. Box 500, M/S 39-383
Beaverton, OR   97077                        (SDA - Standard Disclaimers Apply)

MacUserLabs@cup.portal.com (Stephan - Somogyi) (01/19/90)

briand@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM (Brian Diehm) writes:
 
>So MacUser said they were going to be updating the yellow pages
>section only once every three months.
>
>Since then, zip. Nothing. Several months. Yesterday they sent me a
>renewal notice. Trashville - that yellow pages section was the only
>differentiating feature of the magazine. Even if I didn't always
>agree with their views, it was a handy place to get a listing of all
>the available products of a certain type.
 
Well, Murphy's Law prevailed; every three months was optimistic. I
don't know exactly which issue they're going to reappear in, but I saw
proofs the other day; the revision is real and will be in as soon as
possible.
 
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Stephan Somogyi       Berlin ist 1 Reise wert
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MacUser	              Any opinions expressed above are mine.