🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <sXtTiQy00WB3IbtGJS@andrew.cmu.edu> aa0s+@andrew.cmu.edu (Adel Talaat Assaad) writes:
>I just received the first APDAlog from the "NEW & AMENDED" APDA run by
>Apple, and boy did I dislike what I saw. They charge membership, and THEN
>charge RETAIL for everything. Some prices went up 125% (TechNotes) and
>the shipping and handling charge makes it sound like you should have
>D. Trump's fortune to deal with them.
>
...
>Opinion:The unnecessary (and unimpressive) glitz and articles in the
>APDAlog which now tries to pause as a "communication channel" reflects
>such a corporate-oriented snobbery, sort of telling you don't bother
>to come in touch with us unless you have BIIIG plans and think really
>BIIIG. (Incidentally, I think Sue Espinosa's article about "why the
>take over" didn't have any substance to an ordinary human. Their
>pre-release software will have the same bugs, the manuals will not be
>any more legible, and their prices aren't any cheaper. So what's so
>"efficient or beautiful" about the move.)
>
...
>How does everbody out there feel about this?
>I'd like to know, since I could be overreacting to a bad week or something.
>

OK, but first I want to say (in addition to my standard disclaimer at the
end of my posting) that the following opinions are mine and I have no idea
whether they are shared, embraced, or derided by my employer.

The first thing I want to say is, "I told you so."  Early last year there
were "bash APDA" threads both here and on CompuServe and I got my head bit
off on both services for saying that APDA wasn't so bad.  I never claimed
that there wasn't room for improvement, but felt that they did a pretty fair
job all things considered.  I even commented that people would be sorry if
it got taken "in-house" again.  This is starting to happen.

Before anyone gets the wrong idea, I am not criticizing Sue or the other
people at Apple who are involved in APDA as they are good folks and I think
that they will really try to do a good job.  I just don't think that the
corporation will give them the latitude to do so.  Small organizations (like
APDA) that are part of a large corporation (like Apple) tend to be less
responsive and efficient than an independent organization of the same size
just because they have to pass everything they do past umpteen levels of
bureaucracy for approval.

The loss of discounts on things like books is a pain, especially when you
consider the shipping charges (they're higher now too due to using FedEx).
Fortunately, there are places like Computer Literacy here in the Valley, so
I can get the books at the same retail price and save the shipping charge --
others probably won't be so lucky.

About the only real efficiency I think we'll see gained is a few days between
the release of a new version of MPW (or some other Apple SW product) and its
availability from APDA.  There will also be less finger-pointing as to the
culprit in a delay as Apple will only be able to point at one or another of
its own extremities rather than a third party (who points back at them).

Dennis Cohen
Claris Corp.
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Disclaimer:  Any opinions expressed above are _MINE_!
(And I really mean that disclaimer)