From: banksie@khantazi.welly.gen.nz (Philip R. Banks)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: Yet more grumbles about Acorn (Was Re: The draw format and Acorn)
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 00:17:24 +1200
Reply-To: banks_p@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
Organization: My Arc.

ijp@doc.ic.ac.uk (Ian Palmer) writes:

[ grumbles about my style of synopsis deleted :-) ]

> As for my grumbles about Acorn, my only real grumble with them is
> concerning the PRM's for risc-os 3. As I see it there is no
> justification for Acorn holding out until RO3 comes out fully. The
> fact that RO3 (debugged version) is not out yet I can live with (just)
> but the total lack of PRMs is extreemly frustrating, because
> everything I want to find out about has to be done the hard way, and I
> don't mind using a small amount of 'suck it and see' when I program,
> but when you have to do it for every little thing you hant to do, ie
> bring up a window, create a menu, create a sprite, display a sprite,
> refresh a window (now that's fun with no documentation), the list goes
> on and on and on. Bear in mind it's taken me 3 and a half months to
> progress as far as I would have done in about half a week if I had the
> programming reference manuals. With something that is as complex as
> RO3 you can not get by with the 'suck it and see' method of
> programming, and hence the ever mounting pile of programs I would like
> to write for my A5000 are sitting gathering dust (metaphorically) as I
> don't want to (can't) start them and then have to spend a long time
> rewritting them once I find out how I should have done it in the first
> place.
> 
> It's all very well and good people who have already gained experience
> of Risc-Os programming to sit in judgement and say 'Stop complaining
> about Acorn, their doing their best'. Well I would (probably) stop
> complaining about Acorn if they would just release one thing, the
> PRMs.

   Perhaps you might consider that fact that Acorn have yet to release RO3
for machines *other* than the A5000. Do you seriously expect them to release
manuals on an OS they are still adjusting and finishing to work on other
machines? If you do your dreaming. Remember Acorn is a *small* business in
the computing world. It can't afford to do special runs of manuals. Thus
until the OS is ready for release on other machines they are *not* going to
release the PRM's.

   It just doesn't make any sense to do otherwise. Indeed from a marketing
point of view releasing the updated RO3 (lets call it RO3.1) would have best
impact if released with a new machine. After all a new flagship Arc must be
coming soon to replace the 540 and why not co-inside it with the release of
RO3.1 for all Arcs? And probably the PRM's at the same time. It makes for
maximum marketing effect for your dollar.

> >   How about you ask for a golden egg, three million dollars and a diamond
> >necklace as well? Geeze not asking much are you....
> >
> 
> I don't think they are quite the same thing.

   Really? You are asking for something for free. Remember you have *bought*
your machine now. All Acorn are obligated to supply to you is back up
service under the machines warranty conditions. No retrospective deals. No
golden eggs. Come on Acorn is a *business*, it can't afford to give things
away.

> Or to put it another way, what's the point in having a wonderful
> computer (yes there's a bit of praise in there) like the A5000 when
> you can't use it to it's full potential because you are in the dark as
> to how to program the damn thing.
> 
> Remember you said it, not me......

   No Eric Wolfson sang it actually after Alan Parsons wrote/said it. *I*
merely like the sentiment. There is a difference. Besides which that is
merely a fixed quote. The fact that it bears even a contorted relavence to
the arguement is neither here nor there. Kindly leave my sig file alone.

    Philip

--
Philip R. Banks                                                         @@@@@/|
Syntax: mail <banks_p@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz|banksie@khantazi.welly.gen.nz> @@@@/#|
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What price the crown of a king on his throne,                           @@/---|
When you're chained in the dark all alone?  ---A.P.P.                   @/    |