A lucidly written, eminently practical guide to fighting back against the modern scourge of software “bugs.” Ever had your keyboard freeze up in the middle of creating a document? Ever lost a file because your computer mysteriously shut down? Software problems like these are costly, frustrating, and far from rare. Technology journalist Minasi tells us why software is so defective, and what we can do about it. Minasi advocates a “buyer beware” approach: “Companies make software and sell it to the public despite the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of defects in the software, defects that the company is fully aware of when it sells it.” How do these companies get away with introducing defect-filled products into the marketplace? Minasi offers a surprisingly candid answer: people have such abysmally low expectations about software that very few complain. Thus, software companies sell whizbang features, while skimping on quality control. The cultural divisions within software companies also contribute to the problem. Marketing departments wants dazzling features and a short design process, while programmers want time to create superior products. Mostly, marketing wins out. Moreover, the computer industry press rarely criticizes software companies, who provide essential advertising revenues. Minasi isn’t optimistic about the ability of consumers to gain legal redress for software-related problems. He describes the flagrantly anticonsumer licensing agreements contained inside boxes of “shrink-wrapped” software. These licenses are basically one-sided contacts offered to consumers on a “take it or leave it” basis. The software lobby has succeeded brilliantly in fending off efforts to enhance consumer protection. What Minasi proposes is that consumers learn how to take care of themselves. He provides an array of troubleshooting suggestions to combat bugs, as well as practical advice on how to seek technical support. An absorbing, easily understandable, and inspiring book about standing up for your rights in the realm of defective software.
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-07-134806-9
Page Count: 209
Publisher: McGraw-Hill
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1999
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
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