Note: I recently discovered that people still link to this review - I'm restoring it for the time being.
MAD Magazine
recently released their 350th issue. Their first issue, as far as I know, to include a CD-ROM. The CD was jointly produced by
AOL
(America On-Line),
Kid Rhino
and
MAD
. The CD is sealed inside a plastic bag with the magazine. The bag is covered with large print that touts its contents...
"FREE MAD CD-ROM INSIDE!"
But nowhere does it mention that the CD-ROM is meant to be used ONLY on an IBM compatible. In fact there is no information anywhere, in the magazine, on the jacket or on the disc itself the would let a perspective buyer know that the disk will not play on a Macintosh.
If you buy a CD-ROM bundled with a PC magazine, you can expect that it will run under Windows or DOS. The opposite is true for MacUser, MacWorld, etc. Browsing your local newsstand for magazines of general interest, more attention is required. By industry consensus, the labelling information stating system requirements is usually visible on all software. It should clearly states which platform you'll need view the CD. I had not seen a CD without this information, so I assumed that the lack thereof indicated a cross platform disk. Big mistake!
Mad
may have the distinction of being the first magazine in the late 20th century to make the assumption that the battle for America's computer users hearts and minds is over. (To be fair you don't need to own a computer to enjoy a portion of the Disc. There are 3 audio tracks that can be played on any CD-player.)
Are we nearing the end of an era? Have the Microsoft rumor-mongers finally succeeded in convincing most of us with their wishful thinking and self-perpetuating mantra that the Mac is really dead? Mac market share has slipped in the last year, but the Mac and Mac users are far from dead. Macs account for about 30% of the web servers out there. The Mac multimedia and web solutions continue to be superior to Intel-based systems judged by any criteria. I'd like to think that there is a price to pay for ignoring this sizable portion of the market and pretending that they don't exist.
If you'd like to contact those responsible to let them know how you feel, here are some addresses.
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