Customer Reviews

Inside AutoCAD Map 2000

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I received my copy of this book just today, so I can't yet comment on its content at this point. However, I am so outraged by one aspect of its publication that I felt it necessary to comment on it immediately.

The last 100 pages of the text aren't published! Rather, they are included on an accompanying CD-ROM as PDF documents! Chapter 14 - "Plotting Maps", and Appendices A and B simply aren't there! The last page of Chapter 13 says "Book Continued on Companion CD-ROM", and that's it!

It is one thing to include supplemental, extra, or "bonus" materials on a CD, but quite another to put integral parts of the text on one! When I ordered this book, I thought I was purchasing a BOOK- a printed and bound volume! Instead I got *part* of a book, despite the fact that I paid *all* of its selling price!

I can think of only two reasons why the publishers would chose this method of publication. Either they did it to wring extra profits from sales of this title (it is much cheaper to press a CD than to print and bind 100 pages of text), or they took this book to press before the authors had completed the text. I consider neither of these reasons acceptable, and will never again purchase another book produced by OnWord Press.

And as a final insult, the companion CD-ROM is sealed in its jacket with a sticker that reads, "If the disk package seal is broken, the purchaser forfeits all return rights and privileges to the seller." That's right, in order to examine the text of this "book" that you've paid for, you must forfeit your legal right of return! I doubt very much that this is even legal, but the audacity of the publisher to try to take away my legal right is appalling!

Despite the fact that some of the materials in this book are in fact on the companion CD, the quality of the book and CD are excellent and have been much more useful than other materials available on AutoCAD map. This book is an excellent stand alone tutorial and reference manual which actually exceeded my expectations. In fact, it covers most basic AutoCAD functions that a person would need to get started and thus eliminates the need for having to bone up on AutoCAD basics and having to buy other books. Try it, you'll like it.

I, too, was outraged by OnWord Press' packaging of the last chapter and appendices of the book on CD-ROM. By breaking the seal of the jacket to review and examine the contents of the rest of the book, I give up my rights to return this so-called "book"?

It is one thing to put the full text of the book, or accompanying programs/files on CD-ROM with a shrink-wrap license, but it is quite unacceptable to hold hostage part of the contents of the book in order to have a firm grasp on the money in your wallet.

Never again will I buy another OnWord Press INSIDE book.

I have been utilizing AutoCAD for more than 15 yrs and must say my best reading material for gaining the knowledge needed to do my job came from a supplemental CD, internet papers, etcera & etcera - and not a full fledged book. In any case, I have always enjoyed ONWARD Books such as Inside AuotCAD Map - even if it means succumbing to technology and reading the rest from a CD. Finally, a big thanks to Mr. Gish for a response. After spending countless hours on the phone with questions and concerns to others (normally about software) that ordinarily end up nowhere. It is certainly nice to know someone is out there, listening and responding.