mjohnson@Apple.COM (Mark Johnson) (02/04/89)
I am posting the following note for William Kiss <wkiss@ccu.UManitoba.CA> who does not have access to Usenet but has seen some of the discussion regarding APDA. It was sent to me by him to post... >>> Start of Forwarded Mail I would first of all like to make it clear that I'm not connected with Apple Computers, Inc. and APDA in any way. However, I take great ex- ception to the comments that have been posted regarding the Apple-run APDA. Consider the following points: 1. People are complaining about the prices, especially on third-party software. I do not see why Apple should be in the business of re- marketing. This clearly places them in direction competition with the TechAlliance, MacWarehouse, MacConnection, etc. If you desire cheap (read inexpensive) software then get it from them, not Apple. The only point that I'm willing to concede here is the price of the Tech.Notes on Disk, which are too high. The paper version is still the same price. 2. The content of the first issue of the APDAlog has also been under attack. I found that issue superior in both content and style to any of the issues which had previously been published by A.P.P.L.E. Co-Op. Just having read the first issue of MacTech Quarterly, I wonder why similar effort was not put into the APDAlog by them. 3. Nobody should complain about service yet. The operation of APDA is just getting underway at Apple and I'm sure that there will be bugs to iron out. For instance, there is no 800 number in Canada yet but I'm willing to wait. 4. The messages that I've seem posted seem shrill, bordering on hysteric. The way to get this done is not rant and rave but to make CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. 5. Be patient and give Ms.Espinosa support. Let her know what you think could use improvement and what you like as it is now. >>> End of Forwarded Mail Mark B. Johnson AppleLink: m.johnson Developer Technical Support domain: mjohnson@Apple.com Apple Computer, Inc. UUCP: {amdahl,decwrl,sun,unisoft}!apple!mjohnson "You gave your life to become the person you are right now. Was it worth it?" - Richard Bach, _One_
sbb@esquire.UUCP (Stephen B. Baumgarten) (02/09/89)
In article <25268@apple.Apple.COM> mjohnson@Apple.COM (Mark Johnson) writes: >I am posting the following note for William Kiss <wkiss@ccu.UManitoba.CA> > > 2. The content of the first issue of the APDAlog has also been under > attack. I found that issue superior in both content and style to > any of the issues which had previously been published by A.P.P.L.E. > Co-Op. Just having read the first issue of MacTech Quarterly, I > wonder why similar effort was not put into the APDAlog by them. I agree. I think that while some might complain about lack of content in some of the articles, the APDAlog is now *much* better layed out, it's much easier to find what you're looking for, and in general seems very clear and accessible. None of this can be said about the old APDAlog, which developed from a few pages of catalog listings into something that showed signs of the fatal Pagemaker-itis disease, but which at no point was ever very well done. Now if they would just throw out their ridiculous billing procedures (each item having an associated shipping cost, sending you twelve invoices, each with pro-rated shipping and tax charges, etc.), and if they could manage to keep more than 50% of their items in stock (a curious term for the tech notes, which seem to go out of stock whenever they run out of toner for their copy machine), we'd really be set. -- Steve Baumgarten | "New York... when civilization falls apart, Davis Polk & Wardwell | remember, we were way ahead of you." cmcl2!esquire!sbb | esquire!sbb@cmcl2.nyu.edu | - David Letterman