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.