Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!bellcore!rutgers!cmcl2!brl-adm!umd5!ames!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!ut-sally!utastro!werner From: werner@utastro.UUCP (Werner Uhrig) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac Subject: case conluded; MacZap is useful (was Re: MacZap not useful) Summary: ok, John O'Malley is not the fluff I first thought. Message-ID: <2738@utastro.UUCP> Date: 4 Jun 88 09:14:43 GMT References: <107@mace.cc.purdue.edu> <2734@utastro.UUCP> <108@mace.cc.purdue.edu> Organization: U. Texas, Astronomy, Austin, TX Lines: 48 ok, here goes: I flamed hard and John took it well; he admitted to "foot in mouth" and I admit to stand ready with my peace-pipe and Vitamin-E cream (carrots and vitamin-E are my principal healing tools when burnt :-) without long quotes .... John points out > MacZap works, but I think it could use some improvement. > I'd think that Les would have seen Apple's bad example and then wanted to > come out with something better ... we couldn't agree more, and I have tried to impress this on Les for years; the reason why ZAP has not been improved faster, is both a reflection on the fact that MicroAnalyst is the tiniest of companies and that Les, when given the choice, works on functionality and postpones user-interface and documentation. And as ZAP is a one-man-project and MicroAnalyst is a one-programmer company .....do I need to say more? Also, when you think who and when people buy ZAP, you quickly realize that there is not really a large market for ZAP and that people are not really buying updates unless they NEED them. plus, there is never a finished program as the Mac has continued to evolve all the time (and gotten more complex in the process). A very tricky marketing situation, wouldn't you say? I think making disk-recovery into a game is, actually, a VERY GOOD idea; people could be motivated to get updates and practice in preparation for the need ... > ... There's no reason that a complex task has to be difficult. tell that to NASA ! (-: Of course, with the right financing and personel, ZAP could be a wonderful product. at what price for the limited market? Apple bought Switcher - why Apple didn't buy ZAP (and/or MicroAnalyst) and make it into a wonderful product, that escapes me. (I don't know if or that they tried). > MacZap's success the second time around made my posting flame-able. you took my flame in admirable style; I, definitely, was wrong calling you a "ninkompoop"; apologies. > Net postings are, for the most part, quite reliable. I agree... (-: > OK, here's the inevitable question: Anyone tried Symantec Utilities yet? only beta-testers have seen it (that I know) and I'd have to ask first what can be said about it. I'm not sure that I'll find the time to do so, however. That settles that, I hope.