Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!ira.uka.de!smurf!urlichs
From: urlichs@smurf.sub.org (Matthias Urlichs)
Subject: Re: BOOKS
Message-ID: <NWS_LDP@smurf.sub.org>
Date: Sat, 06 Apr 91 18:12:31 GMT
Organization: University of Karlsruhe, FRG
References: <1991Mar30.080621.12862@lynx.CS.ORST.EDU> <1991Apr3.164446.9192@potomac.ads.com> <51172@apple.Apple.COM>
Lines: 34

In comp.sys.mac.programmer, article <51172@apple.Apple.COM>,
  keith@Apple.COM (Keith Rollin) writes:
< In article <1991Apr3.164446.9192@potomac.ads.com> jtn@potomac.ads.com (John T. Nelson) writes:
< >
< >1) Inside Mac is lacking in some information (MultiFinder for example)
< >and is poorly written and organized.
< 
< Given the objective of Inside Mac to be an encyclopedic reference
< rather than a "sitting by the fire" novel, what's wrong with the way
< it's written? And other than the fact that relevent pieces of
< information are strewn across 5 volumes, what's wrong with the way it's
< organized? Within each volume, I think that the information is very
< well organized.
< 
Well, the lack of information is pretty much covered with IM VI.
Unfortunately, there's still four volumes (counting 1-3 as one) and 280-odd
technotes.

What seems to be needed is a good text retrieval system. SPInside Mac is a
good start, but it's not quite there yet. 
The problem is that no such system can freely associate between what the
programmer wants to do and what Inside Mac says, the way a human can.

_Really_ reading IM every year or so can in fact give you a reputation for
that kind of thing because all your lazy friends phone in with some obscure
problem and get Manager & Trap (or should I say "Chapter & Verse" ;-)
information back.  Though I have to admit that I haven't had the time to do
the required "really reading" work (and I fo mean the sitting-down-and-
concentrate type of reading, as opposed to when-being-unable-to-sleep type)
with IM VI yet.

-- 
Matthias Urlichs -- urlichs@smurf.sub.org -- urlichs@smurf.ira.uka.de     /(o\
Humboldtstrasse 7 - 7500 Karlsruhe 1 - FRG -- +49-721-621127(0700-2330)   \o)/
