December 2004
Make the Books Lay Flat
From: Peter K.
I have the Missing Manuals for AppleWorks 6 and Mac OS X (Panther Edition), and although I have barely scratched the surface, I can see that both are going to be very useful. I find it difficult to imagine how anyone can possibly come to grips with what the computer has to offer without such works of reference, given that the manuals that come in the box are a joke.
My reason for writing is to ask if you have ever considered publishing the manuals in loose-leaf form, as it would make it so much easier to refer to them when using the computer. As it is, the pages naturally will not stay open, and after a time this gets tiresome. Just a thought. I realize loose leaf would be more expensive and that you would see it as an alternative, not as a replacement. But maybe you'll consider it.
Best wishes,
Peter K.
That's an interesting question. As it happens, the Missing Manual series is one of the few that uses a special lay-flat binding, one that costs us more but is much more convenient for readers. On the back cover, do you see a little logo that says RepKover? That tells you that you have the special binding.
There was a time during the technology-bubble-bursting era when O'Reilly stopped using RepKover, when finances were tight. Today, however, this special binding is once again the standard for the Missing Manuals and O'Reilly books.
I guess it's possible that you bought both of your books during that time when they weren't using special binding -- that you can rest assured they are using today.
David
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