cactus@zardoz.club.cc.cmu.edu (Todd Masco) (05/06/91)
Just got my June Amiga World. In it, I notice Grapvine advertising the 2.0 ROMs (Price: "Call"). So, I call. They're not out yet, but expected within the next few weeks (the guy told me to call back in a week, but when further pressed said the "next few weeks"). Blah. I need to decide whether or not to wait for the 2.0 ROMs to buy my A3000... -- Todd L. Masco - CMU Physics | "Free speech is the right to shout "theatre" cactus@zardoz.club.cc.cmu.edu | in a crowded fire."
slewis@sugar.hackercorp.com (Steve Lewis) (05/07/91)
In article <12928@pt.cs.cmu.edu>, cactus@zardoz.club.cc.cmu.edu (Todd Masco) writes: > Just got my June Amiga World. In it, I notice Grapvine advertising > the 2.0 ROMs (Price: "Call"). > > So, I call. They're not out yet, but expected within the next few > weeks (the guy told me to call back in a week, but when further > pressed said the "next few weeks"). > > Blah. I need to decide whether or not to wait for the 2.0 ROMs to buy > my A3000... > -- > Todd L. Masco - CMU Physics | "Free speech is the right to shout "theatre" Don't wait for the 2.0 ROMS. According to my local dealer, they have official word from C= that 2.0 won't be available until the "3rd quarter". Commodore has decided to go ahead and put in the structured fonts feature.
mwm@pa.dec.com (Mike (My Watch Has Windows) Meyer) (05/08/91)
In article <1991May7.173832.1761@visix.com> brett@visix.com (Brett Bourbin) writes:
I hope you are kidding. We, developers working on products for the Amiga
line, which includes 2.0 specific version of software, need to have
documentation on the new functions in the 2.0 release.
So sign up as a developer, and get the preliminary versions. Or wait
until the OS is released in final form, and get the final version.
I have studied the 2.02 include files to find out some the functions that
are new for this release, but people need docs to write well-behaved
applications.
No, you need docs to write well-behaved applications that take
advantage fo the new features. Well-behaved applications that use only
1.3 features will be well-behaved on 2.0.
As you've apparently noticed, what's available changed between 2.00
and 2.02. It may well change again. It really doesn't make sense for
CBM to print manuals - or even widely distribute technical information
- for the OS until the feature set has frozen.
I have never purchased a system that did not come with, or have
available, full documentation to the programming enviornment (and
managing the Technical Services Divison here assigns me the task of
purchasing all computer equipment).
You still haven't. If you're a developer, then you've got that
documentation available. If you're not a developer, then you've got an
A3000 that comes with 1.3, for which that documentation is available.
It's also got a beta release of 2.0, but that's a beta release.
In a company like Commodore, the documentation should be written as much as
possible, in parallel to the software release. If this can not be done, for
the most part, is a result of poor design plans.
The documentation is being written in parallel with the software
release. It should be released shortly after the software is released.
I should not have to be a developer to get the only programmers docs for
2.0.
You think CBM should release docs to the world for all the interim
releases? Complete with documentation bugs that will make your
programs unreliable? And with no insurance that the people who have
them will bother getting the final version (people motivated enough to
sign up as developers and get the docs can pretty reliably be trusted
to be motivated enough to get the final version). I think you're
asking for trouble.
You should also make up your mind. Either you're a developer (as you
claimed in the first paragraph), or you're not.
<mike
--
When all our dreams lay deformed and dead Mike Meyer
We'll be two radioactive dancers mwm@pa.dec.com
Spinning in different directions decwrl!mwm
And my love for you will be reduced to powderes1@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Ethan Solomita) (05/08/91)
In article <1991May7.173832.1761@visix.com> brett@visix.com writes: > >I hope you are kidding. We, developers working on products for the Amiga line, >which includes 2.0 specific version of software, need to have documentation on >the new functions in the 2.0 release. > >I have studied the 2.02 include files to find out some the functions that are >new for this release, but people need docs to write well-behaved applications. > >Now, I know this is NOT the reason for the 2.0x ROM release hold-up, but, IMHO, >it should be. I have never purchased a system that did not come with, or have >available, full documentation to the programming enviornment (and managing the >Technical Services Divison here assigns me the task of purchasing all computer >equipment). > >I a company like Commodore, the documentation should be written as much as >possible, in parallel to the software release. If this can not be done, for >the most part, is a result of poor design plans. > >I should not have to be a developer to get the only programmers docs for 2.0. >-- > __ > Brett Bourbin \ / /(_ /\/ 11440 Commerce Park Drive > ..!uunet!visix!brett \/ / __)/ /\ Reston, Virginia 22091 > brett@visix.com Software Inc (703) 758-2733 This is really just whining. So what should Commodore have done: not shipped 2.0 at all, even though it is quite stable, simply because they didn't have full documentation? Bull! I'll take my 2.0 as it is now, even without special software support for it. If you don't like that you can boot back into 1.3. 2.0 IS NOT FINISHED. Think of it as an added bonus to buying an A3000. Other than 3000 owners, the only people who HAVE 2.0 are DEVELOPERS. So why do you expect CBM to ship documentation to non-developers? Poor planning? 2.0 isn't even released yet! I'll stop my ranting and raving. I should know by now not to get inflammed by such stupid posts. If you don't want 2.0, boot in 1.3. If you want the documentation, you have to be a developer and then you just order the autodocs. Plain and simple. -- Ethan "Brain! Brain! What is Brain?"