Re: Re: Journals dying?, apparently rather slowly (was ,
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg106956] Re: [mg106931] Re: Journals dying?, apparently rather slowly (was ,
- From: DrMajorBob <btreat1 at austin.rr.com>
- Date: Fri, 29 Jan 2010 07:48:07 -0500 (EST)
- References: <27994965.1264251543203.JavaMail.root@n11>
- Reply-to: drmajorbob at yahoo.com
Many times, I've tried to open PDF files and failed, both with 3rd party readers and with Adobe Reader. Universal portability is less than a rumor; more like a myth. Bobby On Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:46:40 -0600, Richard Fateman <fateman at cs.berkeley.edu> wrote: > Nasser M. Abbasi wrote: >> "Richard Fateman" <fateman at cs.berkeley.edu> wrote in message news:hjmjg4 >> >>> OK, I'll go further and even say this: >>> >>> I would certainly shy away from a presentation that required the reader >>> to own a free Mathematica player. >>> >>> Why? >>> >>> 1. Most people do not have it, while most people DO have Adobe Reader. >>> >> >> True. But this is just logistics and the case today. Adobe reader was >> around >> much longer than the Mathematica player. > > I think that the free Mathematica player has been around for quite a few > years. The story I heard was that the person who wrote the front end on > the Mac insisted that it be given away. Let's say that it has been out > for 15 years. How many Adobe reader programs were there 15 years after > its introduction? > > I still remember the times when I >> could not open a PDF file becuase I did not have PDF reader installed >> on the >> PC I was using. > > You must have a good memory or a bad PC. > >> >>> 2. Getting a copy of Mathematica Player seems to require that you >>> supply >>> WRI with your email and other information. >>> >> >> OK, This can easily be fixed. > > not obvious that you can do that -- what if a password is sent to that > email? > >> >>> 3. I suspect that downloading Mathematica Player to a computer in a >>> public library would not be allowed. >>> >> >> Downloading a PDF reader is also not allowed. > > It is not necessary because it is already there. > > ... > >> >> If the player was installed on that public PC, then clicking on a player >> file (.nbp extension) should open it, just like clicking on a PDF file >> should cause the PDF reader on the PC to open it. > > It seems that the free player can only load notebooks "curated" by WRI, > if I understand the restrictions. So mailing someone a .nb file won't > work. >> >> This is what WRI should do: make the player support all Mathematica >> functions, and make arrangements with PC makers to have it in each PC >> and >> also fill the shopping malls and the post officies with CD's that have >> the >> player in it (like they did with AOL many years ago). in few years, the >> Mathematica player will be just as widespreadly used as PDF reader is >> today, >> and it will become the main tool of exchanging scientific and >> mathematical >> notes between scientists, engineers and students. > > This happens after Stephen Wolfram becomes king of the world, and > probably closes WRI, since it will no longer earn any money. > > RJF > -- DrMajorBob at yahoo.com