Re: Re: Does Mathematica really need more printed,
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg88272] Re: [mg88231] Re: [mg88197] Does Mathematica really need more printed,
- From: Murray Eisenberg <murray at math.umass.edu>
- Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:24:59 -0400 (EDT)
- Organization: Mathematics & Statistics, Univ. of Mass./Amherst
- References: <fuhfdc$ihb$1@smc.vnet.net> <fuhrka$s88$1@smc.vnet.net> <200804291048.GAA28156@smc.vnet.net>
- Reply-to: murray at math.umass.edu
Each Mathematica 6 Documentation Center page is a Mathematica notebook, and when it appears it includes the usual control for magnifying everything, up to 300%. Surely that suffices. And I believe the default is configurable by means of the Options Inspector: you use the Global category; search for Magnification; then change that from the default value 1 to something higher. Unless you need severely compensating assistive technology, that should suffice. Richard Palmer wrote: > I have an additional concern regarding current on-line documentation. Some > of it does not have a resizable font. That makes it difficult for people > like me that have glasses and use portable computers with smaller screens. > I hope that can be fixed in a subsequent release. > > Regards, Richard > > > On 4/28/08, AES <siegman at stanford.edu> wrote: >> In response to Andrzej Kozlowski's comment >> >>> Judging by quite many "ordinary users" I known, the views you have >> been >>> expressing, particularly those on the need for printed software >> manuals >>> rather make you a memeber of a minority, and moreover a rather >>> rapidly declining one. I for one, . . . >> >> Does Mathematica really need printed, more introductory level >> documentation (aka books, or manuals) to add to its excellent, but less >> readable, online documentation? >> >> Let's take an experimental or "reality-based" approach to this question >> (however much that approach may be out of favor with our current >> administration in Washington . . .) >> >> Adobe Illustrator is, in my opinion anyway, an excellent piece of >> technical software, comparable in quality and usefulness and at least >> somewhat comparable in technical complexity, to Mathematica. >> >> There's probably a sizable overlap --- or at very least, a very sizable >> _potential_ market overlap --- between Illustrator and Mathematica users >> (new graphics commands that are very Illustrator-like have in fact been >> added in 6.0). >> >> Both programs have something of an initial learning curve for "ordinary >> users"; both have excellent detailed online reference documentation. >> >> Mathematica is, I would judge, actually substantial more complex and >> requires more learning for an average individual than does Illustrator. >> On my Mac, Illustrator 11 is 75 MB for the app itself, plus another 75 >> MB of supplemental stuff. I didn't try to dig inside the Mathematica >> package, but it's over 1 GB in my Applications folder, plus whatever >> additional material is stuffed away elsewhere on my HD. Illustrator >> manuals tend to be 300 to 500 pages; the Mathematica Book for v5 was >> just under 1500. Mathematica users, especially less experienced ones, >> might need more forms and varieties of documentation, that Illustrator >> users. >> >> So, to get some idea what sort of introductory printed books and manuals >> might be useful for Mathematica, we might ask: what sort of introductory >> printed books and manuals are readily available, right now, for >> Illustrator? (Noting again that Illustrator also has good, well >> organized, readily accessible online documentation, Help files, and >> tutorials --- along with helpful user forums on its web site.) >> >> A quick look at amazon.com then brings up a list of at least twelve (12) >> such introductory books or manuals on Illustrator (list appended below). >> All of these books are currently available in stock on amazon (and three >> are on my bookshelf) --- as compared to _none_ (as yet, anyway) for >> Mathematica 6. >> >> At least half of these Illustrator manuals can be identified as current >> editions of earlier versions that were published for earlier versions of >> Illustrator. In other words, earlier versions apparently sold well >> enough that authors were willing to write and publishers were willing to >> bring out 2nd, 3rd, even 4th editions of these manuals, updated for the >> current version of Illustrator. >> >> Or in other words, for me anyway: The experimental evidence is that >> these books _clearly meet user needs_, sufficiently so that authors are >> willing to invest their energies in writing them; publishers publish >> them; and users buy them, including more than once; >> >> Should Wolfram maybe recognize this point? >> >> ===================================== >> >> * Adobe Illustrator CS3 Classroom in a Book by Adobe Creative Team >> (2007) $35 >> >> * The Adobe Illustrator CS3 Wow! Book by Sharon Steuer (2007) $24 >> >> * Adobe Illustrator CS3 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques by Karlins >> and Hopkins (2007) $10 >> >> * Real World Adobe Illustrator CS3 by Mordy Golding (2007) $20 >> >> * Illustrator CS3 Bible by Ted Alspach ( 2007) $25 >> >> * Adobe Illustrator for Fashion Design by Susan Lazear (2008) $35 >> >> * Fashion Designer's Handbook for Adobe Illustrator by Centner and >> Vereker (2007) $50 >> >> * Illustrator CS3 for Windows and Macintosh (Visual QuickStart Guide) >> by Weinmann and Lourekas (2007) $20 >> >> * Adobe Illustrator CS3 Revealed by Chris Botello (Aug 31, 2007) $45 >> >> * Best Practice: The Pros On Adobe Illustrator by Toni Toland (Aug 16, >> 2006) $35 >> >> * Adobe Illustrator CS2 Revealed, Education Edition by Chris Botello >> (2005) $40 >> >> * Illustrator CS for Dummies by Ted Alspach (2003) $25 >> >> ===================================== >> >> > > -- Murray Eisenberg murray at math.umass.edu Mathematics & Statistics Dept. Lederle Graduate Research Tower phone 413 549-1020 (H) University of Massachusetts 413 545-2859 (W) 710 North Pleasant Street fax 413 545-1801 Amherst, MA 01003-9305
- References:
- Re: Does Mathematica really need more printed, introductory documentation?
- From: "Richard Palmer" <rhpalmer@gmail.com>
- Re: Does Mathematica really need more printed, introductory documentation?