ralph@cbnewsj.ATT.COM (Ralph Brandi) (09/26/89)
In article <1989Sep22.161107.18968@mentor.com> bruceh@mentor.com (Bruce Holm) writes: >Since MacUser no longer publishes their mini-review section in the >back of each issue, I can't easily find out the quality of such >products. Does anybody know why they stopped? I always found this particular feature of the magazine useful, and I was pretty disappointed when it disappeared. -- Ralph Brandi ralph@lzfme.att.com att!lzfme!ralph Work flows toward the competent until they are submerged.
wilkins@jarthur.Claremont.EDU (Mark Wilkins) (09/26/89)
In article <892@cbnewsj.ATT.COM> ralph@lzfme.ATT.COM (Ralph Brandi) writes: >In article <1989Sep22.161107.18968@mentor.com> bruceh@mentor.com (Bruce Holm) writes: >>Since MacUser no longer publishes their mini-review section in the >>back of each issue, I can't easily find out the quality of such >>products. > >Does anybody know why they stopped? I always found this particular >feature of the magazine useful, and I was pretty disappointed when >it disappeared. The last issue of MacUser I saw said that the MiniFinders would be back in a few months in some revised form. Never fear. -- Mark Wilkins
rubinoff@linc.cis.upenn.edu (Robert Rubinoff) (09/26/89)
In article <892@cbnewsj.ATT.COM> ralph@lzfme.ATT.COM (Ralph Brandi) writes: >In article <1989Sep22.161107.18968@mentor.com> bruceh@mentor.com (Bruce Holm) writes: >>Since MacUser no longer publishes their mini-review section [...] > >Does anybody know why they stopped? I always found this particular >feature of the magazine useful, [...] I don't know for sure, but I have a guess. The MiniFinders section had a real problem: the reviews were done over a period of several years, so some old programs had a higher rating than newer, better programs just because they were judged with lower standards. They did seem to try to update at least the major products (e.g. MacWrite was described as "showing its age"), but with hundreds of products listed it's not possible to constantly recheck all of them. On the other hand, they did just get a new editor who made other changes to the layout as well. The most noticeable one (to me) was that the various columns no longer have titles, just the author's name. So maybe it was just that the new editor didn't like the capsule reviews. Robert
kehr@felix.UUCP (Shirley Kehr) (09/28/89)
In article <892@cbnewsj.ATT.COM> ralph@lzfme.ATT.COM (Ralph Brandi) writes: <In article <1989Sep22.161107.18968@mentor.com> bruceh@mentor.com (Bruce Holm) writes: <>Since MacUser no longer publishes their mini-review section in the <>back of each issue, I can't easily find out the quality of such <>products. < <Does anybody know why they stopped? I always found this particular <feature of the magazine useful, and I was pretty disappointed when <it disappeared. -- They said they were redoing it and that it would reappear, but that was several months ago. I would have been happier if it had been kept current. Shirley Kehr
MacUserLabs@cup.portal.com (Stephan - Somogyi) (09/28/89)
ralph@cbnewsj.ATT.COM (Ralph Brandi) writes: >In article <1989Sep22.161107.18968@mentor.com> bruceh@mentor.com (Bruce Holm) writes: >>Since MacUser no longer publishes their mini-review section in the >>back of each issue, I can't easily find out the quality of such >>products. > >Does anybody know why they stopped? I always found this particular >feature of the magazine useful, and I was pretty disappointed when it >disappeared. MiniFinders have not stopped; we're just putting them out on a quarterly basis rather than monthly. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Stephan Somogyi MacUserLabs@cup.portal.com or MacUser ...{apple|uunet|sun}!cup.portal.com!MacUserLabs Stay alert, trust no-one, keep your laser handy. Any opinions expressed above are mine.
jfw1@cbnewsh.ATT.COM (james.f.whitehead) (09/29/89)
I agree with the previous posters - MacUser, please start up the "Minifinders" section! Even though it didn't include all products and had some obsolete reviews, it was quite useful. Somehow, I smell advertiser pressure in the decision to suspend "Minifinders" although I sincerely hope not. The larger-circulation hifi magazines are namby-pamby to the point of uselessness in their product reviews, and it would be too bad if this happened to the Mac magazines as well. Better a review you have to take with a grain of salt than one that tells you absolutely nothing! Jim Whitehead "Who cares"
levin@BBN.COM (Joel B Levin) (10/03/89)
In article <4370@cbnewsh.ATT.COM> jfw1@cbnewsh.ATT.COM (james.f.whitehead) writes: |Somehow, I smell advertiser pressure in the decision to suspend |"Minifinders" although I sincerely hope not. . . . I smell economic pressure myself. "Minifinders" represents a lot of column inches (feet?), mostly unchanged month-to-month with relatively little new information, which earned no revenue and cost money to print. I think quarterly printing is a reasonable compromise. /JBL =
hale@scheme.Berkeley.EDU (Greg Hale) (10/05/89)
In article <892@cbnewsj.ATT.COM> ralph@lzfme.ATT.COM (Ralph Brandi) writes: >In article <1989Sep22.161107.18968@mentor.com> bruceh@mentor.com (Bruce Holm) writes: >>Since MacUser no longer publishes their mini-review section in the >>back of each issue, I can't easily find out the quality of such >>products. > >Does anybody know why they stopped? I always found this particular >feature of the magazine useful, and I was pretty disappointed when >it disappeared. Apple has had an advertising campain for business for a while now. I have been promised reviews for my game, Leprechaun, but everyone backed out saying "We have to review xyz business Thingamajig" instead. Oh, well, I suspect magazines are cutting their own throats. Games are important in the computer industry, and no machine is "NOT A GAME MACHINE". Certainly not the Mac. It is one of the better game machines around. The graphics leave a little to be desired (much work is needed even for color) but the interface is great. How can it not be a game machine? Just look at Sim City, adventures, Leprechaun, and various strategy games. This is not to say it's not good for work, too. I use filemaker, word processors, layout, etc..., for business, and it is indispensable. But after work, watch out! Supermouse! :) Any other game affiendos out there? What do you think? ||| Greg Hale #()-> Internet: hale@scam.Berkeley.EDU ||| UUCP: ...!ucbvax!scam!hale
fwb@demon.siemens.com (Frederic W. Brehm) (10/05/89)
Another vote to bring back the "Minifinders" section in MacUser. This was a great aid in answering questions like What was the name of that program that did ...? Are there any programs available to do ...? -- Frederic W. Brehm Siemens Corporate Research Princeton, NJ fwb@demon.siemens.com -or- princeton!siemens!demon!fwb