[comp.sys.mac.misc] Mac Yellow Pages Online

lmarmors@athena.mit.edu (Laura Marmorstein) (02/07/91)

I would like to obtain your opinions on a potential new FREE online service...

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	M A C I N T O S H   Y E L L O W   P A G E S
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Macintosh Yellow Pages is a DISK directory of all major Mac products--software, hardware, accessories, CD_ROM titles, and more.

Your mouse just died?  Simply type "mouse" and the Macintosh Yellow Pages will find all the available mice with price information for you--instantaneously. 

You can look up product information with a few mouse clicks.  The Macintosh Yellow Pages includes product descriptions, review references in MacWEEK and MacUser, price listings, memory requirements, publisher's name, phone numbers, and "800" numbers, when available.

Macintosh Yellow Pages is continuously updated.  New versions are released 6 times a year.

The program requires 1 MB of memory and HyperCard 1.2 or later.

Subscriptions are currently available for 3-, 6-, and 12-issues.  Domestic prices are $45, $69, and $120, respectively.  Ordering is possible by FAX, phone, or mail.  FAX: 617/577-9541   phone: 617/577-9568   mail to: Macintosh Yellow Pages, Kendall Square, P.O. Box 23, Cambridge, MA 02139.  Payments accepted by check, or MasterCard, Visa.

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The IDEA is to make the Macintosh Yellow Pages into an ONLINE service, as well. You could dial up with any modem and terminal emulation software and access the information in the database.  The service will be **FREE**. The only cost being the  cost of the long-distance phone call.

What do you think of this idea?  Would you use it?  Does the cost of the long distance phone call outweigh the benefit of the service?

Please write me back via e-mail with your opinions, suggestions, etc.

Thank you,

Laura Marmorstein			lmarmors@athena.mit.edu

george@swbatl.sbc.com (George Nincehelser 5-6544) (02/07/91)

In article <1991Feb6.235121.12951@athena.mit.edu> lmarmors@athena.mit.edu (Laura Marmorstein) writes:
>
>I would like to obtain your opinions on a potential new FREE online service...
>
>************************************************************************
>	M A C I N T O S H   Y E L L O W   P A G E S
>************************************************************************
>
>Macintosh Yellow Pages is a DISK directory of all major Mac products--software, hardware, accessories, CD_ROM titles, and more.
>

Wasn't this the group that promised us *FREE* issues a year or so ago?

What happened?

-- 
   /   George David Nincehelser        \  george@swbatl.sbc.com     \
  / /   Southwestern Bell Telephone     \  Phone: (314) 235-6544     \
 / / /   Advanced Technology Laboratory  \  Fax:  (314) 235-5797      \
/ / / /\  1010 Pine, St. Louis, MO 63101  \  de asini umbra disceptare \

lim@iris.ucdavis.edu (Lloyd Lim) (02/07/91)

In article <1991Feb7.021010.22680@swbatl.sbc.com> george@swbatl.sbc.com (George Nincehelser 5-6544) writes:
>In article <1991Feb6.235121.12951@athena.mit.edu> lmarmors@athena.mit.edu (Laura Marmorstein) writes:
>>
>>I would like to obtain your opinions on a potential new FREE online service...
>>
>>************************************************************************
>>	M A C I N T O S H   Y E L L O W   P A G E S
>>************************************************************************
>>
>>Macintosh Yellow Pages is a DISK directory of all major Mac products--software, hardware, accessories, CD_ROM titles, and more.
>
>Wasn't this the group that promised us *FREE* issues a year or so ago?
>
>What happened?

Yes, it's them.  They sent me a thing in the mail that said the response was
too large for them to send out free issues.  So they asked me to PAY for my
free issue.  Totally unprofessional.

I have my own little startup company myself and I know better than to make
promises I can't keep or to go back on my word.  I'm surprised no one
threatened legal action.  I don't really trust these people anymore.

+++
Lloyd Lim     Internet: lim@iris.eecs.ucdavis.edu
              Compuserve: 72647,660
              US Mail: 215 Lysle Leach Hall, U.C. Davis, Davis, CA 95616

daniel@lamont.ldgo.columbia.edu (Dan Quoidbach) (02/07/91)

In article <1991Feb6.235121.12951@athena.mit.edu> lmarmors@athena.mit.edu
(Laura Marmorstein) writes:
>
>I would like to obtain your opinions on a potential new FREE online service...
>
>************************************************************************
>        M A C I N T O S H   Y E L L O W   P A G E S
>************************************************************************
>
>Macintosh Yellow Pages is a DISK directory of all major Mac
products--software, hardware, accessories, CD_ROM titles, and more.
>
[ much more deleted ]

Didn't this group offer a free copy of the disk to people who sent
a form in by a certain date last year? I sent my form in and never
heard back. What happened to that offer? Did anyone else receive a
copy? If so, how useful do you find it and is it worth my paying for?
These people haven't made a favorable impression on me yet and I'm
wondering just how long a _free_ online service would stay that way.

Comments?

Dan

rsvp@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (R. Scott V. Paterson) (02/08/91)

lim@iris.ucdavis.edu (Lloyd Lim) writes:

>In article <1991Feb7.021010.22680@swbatl.sbc.com> george@swbatl.sbc.com (George Nincehelser 5-6544) writes:
>>In article <1991Feb6.235121.12951@athena.mit.edu> lmarmors@athena.mit.edu (Laura Marmorstein) writes:
>>>
>>>I would like to obtain your opinions on a potential new FREE online service...
>>>
>>>************************************************************************
>>>	M A C I N T O S H   Y E L L O W   P A G E S
>>>************************************************************************
>>
>>Wasn't this the group that promised us *FREE* issues a year or so ago?
>>
>>What happened?

>Yes, it's them.  They sent me a thing in the mail that said the response was
>too large for them to send out free issues.  So they asked me to PAY for my
>free issue.  Totally unprofessional.

>I have my own little startup company myself and I know better than to make
>promises I can't keep or to go back on my word.  I'm surprised no one
>threatened legal action.  I don't really trust these people anymore.


Don't make fun of me, but I actually sent a check for the ten dollars
they were asking for the service.  I thought I was getting a break
off the ~$70 price.  I got a break alright.  I got nothing, nada!

I'm still trying to get what I signed up for about two years ago.  

I'd say, wait until they fulfill the free orders they offered to internet
users.  We'll know when they are ready to provide services when we
hear from our Usenet ears that they are in fact delivering.  

-Scott

time@tbomb.ice.com (Tim Endres) (02/09/91)

In article <8335@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu>, lim@iris.ucdavis.edu (Lloyd Lim) writes:
> Yes, it's them.  They sent me a thing in the mail that said the response was
> too large for them to send out free issues.  So they asked me to PAY for my
> free issue.  Totally unprofessional.
> 
> I have my own little startup company myself and I know better than to make
> promises I can't keep or to go back on my word.  I'm surprised no one
> threatened legal action.  I don't really trust these people anymore.

And the posting was *absolutely* the most thinly veiled advertisement
I've seen in a long while. I found it somewhat insulting.

tim.

-------------------------------------------------------------
Tim Endres                |  time@ice.com
ICE Engineering           |  uupsi!ice.com!time
8840 Main Street          |  Voice            FAX
Whitmore Lake MI. 48189   |  (313) 449 8288   (313) 449 9208

kenh@pogo.WV.TEK.COM (Ken Hillen) (02/15/91)

>Didn't this group offer a free copy of the disk to people who sent
>a form in by a certain date last year? I sent my form in and never
>heard back. What happened to that offer? Did anyone else receive a
>copy? If so, how useful do you find it and is it worth my paying for?
>These people haven't made a favorable impression on me yet and I'm
>wondering just how long a _free_ online service would stay that way.
>
>Comments?

I also sent in a form and many months later received a letter asking for $10
to receive my free disk!  I foolishly sent them the money and again after a
wait of several months received a disk with very out of date and incomplete
information.  Most of the hardware making up my system was not listed in the
database.  Some of the software I own was not in the list, and old version
numbers were listed for some of the things that were.  The disk (which I 
received in late November) had a creation date from sometime during the
summer.  Accompanying the disk was a subscription form to get update disks 
on a regular basis.  Updates were something like $15 per disk.  Sorry I can't
be more specific.  I erased the disk and used it for something else, and I
threw away the subscription form.

Ken Hillen
standard disclaimers apply