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Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 12:53:47 -0700
From: Erik Ratcliffe <erik@calderasystems.com>
To: caldera-users@rim.caldera.com
Subject: PLEASE READ -- Re: OpenLinux Unleashed (was Re: Linux Kernels)

On Wed, Mar 24, 1999 at 09:42:59AM -0800, Rick Forrester wrote:
> I can already give you a price - sort of... 8^)  $35.94
> 
> I ordered a copy of Calder OpenLinux Unleashed by Allan Smart,
> Erik Ratcliffe, and Ed Orcutt, which includes COL 2.0  Might as well
> support Erik, also.

Okay, now I'm getting worried.  It's bad enough Amazon.com won't update the
book info (it's incorrect the way they have it listed), but now they're
actually selling the book based on that info, and that ain't right.

Here's the real scoop.

The book that was originally started is not the same as the book that ended
up being made.  The contents are identical, but the title and publisher are
different.  Instead of this book being "OpenLinux Unleashed" by Allan Smart,
me, and Ed Orcutt, it's now "Special Edition: Using OpenLinux" by Allan
Smart, me, Tim Bird, David Bandel, and Wil Mattos.

Que -- publisher of the "Special Edition: Using..." series -- is owned by
the same people that own Sam's -- publisher of the "Unleashed" series -- so
this is not really a big deal.  And like I said, the contents of the book
are identical.  Part way through the project the group we were working with
shifted over to the Que side, so we let them take the book with them in the
interest of continuing our work with the same people.

My big concern here is that those of you who are ordering this book will
*not* be getting "OpenLinux Unleashed" when the actual book is finally
published.  The impression I would get if I had ordered the "Unleashed" book
but received a "Special Edition" book is that there was a bait-and-switch of
sorts, which isn't the case at all.  I would think that Amazon.com would
give you the "Special Edition" book without making any fuss, but you may
want to check up on them.  As it stands, their unwillingness to update their
info on this book is giving me a rash...

Anyway, thanks to everyone who has taken the initiative to pre-order this
thing.  The idea that anyone would want to buy something I helped to produce
is a real hoot... :) Just be aware that the book is not "OpenLinux
Unleashed" anymore (hasn't been for quite a while), and that if you bought
it at Amazon.com you may want to contact them and make sure that they are
aware of this issue.  The ISBN numbers aren't even the same anymore, so it
may be good to check up on this (the ISBN book they're selling will never be
published... Ever...).

(For what it's worth, Macmillan has sent out a retraction of the "Unleashed"
information and a correction to update it all to the "Special Edition" info. 
I believe none of it has sunken in with these online stores yet, though. 
Also, if you purchased the book from a place other than Amazon.com and that
place refered to the book as "OpenLinux Unleashed", please let me know so I
can notify Macmillan there are other stores out there that need fixin'...)

-- 
| (o)(o) Erik Ratcliffe, erik@calderasystems.com | Please send all direct |
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