From: "cosmicrock2001" <ursamajor_1@mac.com>
Date: September 5, 2012 12:52:46 PM MDT
To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: Astro IIDC 4.09.00 site updated
Just got around to reading the press release when downloading my copy of the "final version". Words can't say how stupid and unprofessional the statement is. To blame an American administration for a Canadian's business problems and the social decline in science in general is incredible. You've done all of us Mac users a great service with your product. Even if was never updated with new features its great as it is. We understand that developers change products and things go away or are outdated. Developers even suddenly die leaving no one to carry on, like has happened with Dark Adapted recently.
Just to get off track for a minute, Obama is the only President to have actually hosted a star party of amateur astronomers at the White House. It was neat to see him at least trying to see the Ring Nebula with the glare of tv lights on him from the middle of Wash.D.C. When was the last time a Canadian PM did that? It sure hasn't happened under the "other" party here in the U.S. They were too busy promoting the teaching of creationism-ID "as a theory" in public and private school science classes. Science and education budgets were going up in the middle of the great recession until the "other guys" slammed everything down with their failure to do their jobs of negotiating a real budget. I won't even get into recent events this summer at our dark sky site ruined by the "drill baby drill" guys and their huge oil exploration derrick with flood lights casting shadows on our observatory from 1.5 miles away.
Yes, its problem supporting a small number of astrophotographers and Mac users are an even smaller slice. I'm president of the DAS which has about 360 members -all are interested in science and astronomy or they wouldn't have joined. Many in the DAS are Mac users. Only a small percentage of all our members are regular astrophotographers, maybe 10 or 12. Fewer still are Mac Users for astro imaging and fewer still are doing planetary imaging or imaging with firewire video cameras. In fact, I may be about it. I 'promote' AstroIIDC with every image I post on our web list to members our newsletter and a couple other CN forums. Its not that people don't like or appreciate AstroIIDC, its that most people are content to look at other people's images like Alan's or Hubble-NASA stuff.
Even most of the popular Windoze based astro-imaging software developers do it as a second job out of love for the "hobby". One difference I do see, is that they are out there and engaged with their communities of amateur astro imagers through websites, lists, star parties and conferences. Its a tough business model of small numbers. Only positive engaged promotion will grow the number of users. Stuff that works really well is what wins new users in the end. Thats how Apple has grown to the ginormous company it is now. Don't forget it started in a garage smaller than AstroIIDC.
I will continue to use AstroIIDC and credit it on my images as long as it runs with my cameras and Macs. My licenses are for my two cameras, so I won't be upgrading to better cameras anytime soon. I can't afford high end SBIG ccd cameras and can't afford to divert $500 bucks for a "golden key". I completely agree with Alan's comments and hope for the best for whatever you end up doing. But don't leave us saying, poor Uncle Milton, he was a great guy that did great stuff for us, but toward the end he really lost it.
thanks for all you've done.
Ron Pearson, Colorado USA
Denver Astronomical Society
www.denverastro.org
--- In Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com, "milton_aupperle" <milton@...> wrote:
Hi Folks;
I just got the Astro IIDC Web Site:
http://www.outcastsoft.com/ASCASTROIIDC.html
updated for Astro IIDC 4.09.00. I also included an expanded "Announcement" message, described what the "Golden Key" is and when it might become available.
If you have already expressed interest in getting a "Golden Key", you do not need to use that e-mail link for it. I already have you in my list of potential purchasers so I can order the Flash Drive for them.
Now I need to submit the PR release:
http://www.outcastsoft.com/ASCPressReleases.html
to various Mac relevant web sites.
TTYL..
Milton Aupperle