We just received the first issue of develop. It is just what we need. In fact, it couldn't
come at a better time. Anyway, please continue to do it--we need it! Great idea, great
layout, great topics, etc....
--Daniel Tapie
Thanks a lot for the complimentary first issue of develop. It makes me feel healthy
with the funny introduction of the authors, wealthy with its luxury, and happy for
your name is nicer than ever on the first page.
--Philippe
I believe you have a winner here! develop has helped me in just the first 10 minutes.
I needed help with the Palette Manager and I found it here!
Might I suggest that the CD-ROM envelope be perforated? This would allow easy
removal of the packet and alleviate the "now I have the CD-ROM out, but the packet is
still in the way when I flip through the pages" syndrome.
--Bryan Carter
Fantastic idea!!! Keep up the good work. This first issue was FULL of good, timely, and
useful advice (code). Thanks for your efforts to help developers.
--Ken Duncan
Excellent magazine! I really enjoyed the articles, source code examples, backgrounds
on the authors, etc. I predict that develop will establish a new standard of excellence
in technical support literature. But please find a better font for the source code
listings; the font is so faint that I found myself suffering from eye strain after a short
while.
--Ken Friedenbach
What a fantastic idea! The graphic design in develop is so good that it almost distracts
from the content. Keep up the good work and please send the next issue (this one was
stolen...).
--Jean-Michel Karr
THE BAD
develop has NOTHING to offer an Apple II owner/developer. Apple no longer has my
respect as the founder of the home computing and friendly interfaces. I do not want a
Mac and the way I feel at this moment I would not have a Mac if you gave it to me. Yes,
I am angry!
--R. L. Woodworth
The outstanding quality of the premier issue of develop was overshadowed by its
content. It would have been appropriate in a premier issue to devote approximately
equal space to BOTH Apple lines of computers. Apple II support in develop would
surely help Apple and encourage those who acknowledge the IIs as very respectable
computers. May the Apple II and Macintosh lines BOTH enjoy continued and increasing
success in their respective markets!
--Steven Gozdziewski
Like other commodities, developis influenced by the laws of supply and demand. I
publish articles based on what I have and on what I believe the development community
needs. There is a definite need for Apple II information, and developwill continue to be
a forum in which to meet that need, but the mix of Apple II and Macintosh articles will
continue to reflect the mix of developers and their needs (and available articles),
rather than an absolute 50-50 balance.
--Louella
The situation on technical information has just gotten worse with develop. We now
have Inside Macintosh , Technical Notes, the Q & A stack, develop, and many other
documents available through APDA. All of these have information not found anywhere
else. It is a total nightmare when I want to find all the information on a particular
topic. I really, really, REALLY would like ALL Macintosh technical information in one
regularly updated reference. Get rid of all the others.
--Tim Fredenburg
Would you settle for having all of the pivotal information in one place (like a CD-ROM
disc, for example), and for working toward an indexing scheme that would let you find
out all of the documents (and pieces of sample code) that related to your topic of
interest? We believe that the documents deserve (and need) to have lives of their own
to address the needs of the folks who don't want to know absolutely everything about
everything, but we also believe that an intelligent indexer would simplify things
immensely. This issue's CD- ROM disc contains much of the information you'd like to
see combined, and the next issue will have our first crack at the intelligent indexer.
All comments and suggestions welcome.
--Louella
I'm curious to find out WHY Apple decided to go with a CD-ROM disc. I understand that
the disc holds gobs of data (which I would imagine goes mostly unused every issue);
however, I wonder HOW MANY of the Mac and Apple II developers actually own a
CD-ROM drive. Apple may be trying to encourage developers to utilize this
technology, but at the moment it looks like they are just flapping their wings in the
breeze. I've got a great idea! Everyone who can't use the CD-ROM disc should mail it
back to Apple. A small, silent protest. :-)
--Lynda
The CD-ROM gives us room to archive all of the old issues of develop (which allows us
to update and to correct mistakes every quarter), to publish code that would never fit
in our hundred-some pages, and to explore what can be done when space is not a
problem. This issue of develop, the disc includes not only develop and all of its
associated code, but also SpInside Macintosh (a HyperCard stack-based version of
Inside Macintosh volumes I-V), the Macintosh Technical Notes stack, and the
Macintosh DTS Q & A stack, and of course, the ever-popular audio track.
--Louella
THE UNCLASSIFIABLE
Egad! I received my developer's package this noontime and found develop included in
the package. While I haven't had quite the time I wanted to examine the material, I did
notice two serious technical errors. To whit:
This boiled the bejabbers out of the biologists, but made our day! Ever see a penguin
race?
--Robert Smith
I'm afraid I'm guilty on both counts: I am under forty (although I hope the code in this
issue is easier on your eyes), and I did not fully test all of the questions and answers.
In the future, I'll try to convince management that testing penguin-catching techniques
is worth the trip. I'm sure your letter will help.
--Louella
I noticed on page 2 that two "Spirit Guides" were listed. While trying to figure out
what these might be, I thought of three possibilities: continuity editors (insure that
each article adheres to a common theme); channelers or spiritists (as in New Age,
religion, occult); or testers of wines or vineyards. So, now that I've had my guesses,
could you tell me what the real answer is and what relation they have to your
magazine? Or is it all just a joke to see who REALLY reads your journal?
--Rex Bontrager
Margery and Lou both contributed immensely to actually getting develop into print;
without the two of them, it would probably still be a bunch of manuscript pages sitting
in my office and I'd still be thinking that printing was the opposite of cursive. As for
the heading, they both make me smile and so does calling them Spirit Guides. (And it is
good to see who's actually reading the masthead.)
--Louella
QUESTIONS
I like develop. It's cool. But what's the deal with the code contained therein (on
CD-ROM)? Can we use it? Can we distribute it? Both of those (at least the first)
would seem to be the intent ofdevelop. But the lawyer's funfest at the back would seem
to say otherwise. I wondered about this before I saw the article in MacWeek, but now
I'm really confused. Is use of code contained on the CD-ROM as limited as seems to be
implied by the CD-ROM container's text? Or what?
--Robert
You can freely use, copy, and distribute the code that's included in develop. Many
thanks to Teri Drenker in Apple's software licensing group for this issue's revised
licensing agreement.
--Louella
COMMENTS We welcome timely letters to the editor, especially from readers wishing
to react to articles that we publish in develop. Letters should be addressed to Louella
Pizzuti; 20525 Mariani Ave. M/S 75-3B; Cupertino, CA 95014 (AppleLink
Pizzuti1). All letters should include name and company name as well as address and
phone number. Letters may be excerpted or edited for clarity and space.
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Please address all subscription (and
subscription-related) enquiries to:
develop
Apple Computer, Inc.
P.O. Box 531
Mt. Morris, IL 61054 USA
AppleLink: DEV.SUBS