RE: st: PDF Stata 8 manuals

[Philip Ryan <philip.ryan@adelaide.edu.au>]

I too want Stata prices to remain "reasonable" (however that term is 
construed), StataCorp to remain viable, and the excellent reference manuals 
to be available in paper form.  On the other, many is the time I have been 
travelling and need to decide what is the _one_ volume of the manual I 
cannot do without, and won't tip the airline scales.  Invariably I make the 
wrong choice.  So a complementary electronic form of the manuals - I don't 
mind paying - would be welcome.  I understand that some would not like the 
extra expense "built-in" to the price of Stata, that is, a user-pays 
principle would need to be involved.  Also, Stata might be a bit wary of 
making a CD of its manuals available (although the pdf files can be made 
non-printable and non-copyable).  Possible solution: the full manual in 
electronic form viewable on the web, perhaps in a subscription only 
site.  (Other companies with somewhat less savoury reputation than 
StataCorp manage this.  I'm told.)

Phil




At 08:41 PM 15/07/2003 +0200, you wrote:

> At our institute we have an educational network license of Stata/SE 8 with
> *one* set of manuals. Budget contraints limits us to one set of manuals as an
> additional one is priced at $375 (actually relatively cheap compared to their
> weight...).
>
> This results in people running up and down, back and forth across the
> institute trying to find the manuals they currently need. Electronic
> documentation would have saved me half a pair of shoes in the last two years,
> I guess. And a lot of time.
>
> In fact I prefer reading hard copies and the Stata manuls are great. But for
> most network licenses online documentation would be more apt as academic labs
> will rarely buy hard-copies for every license they purchase.
>
> Daniel
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu
> > [mailto:owner-statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu] On Behalf Of
> > Dupont, William
> > Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2003 8:00 PM
> > To: statalist@hsphsun2.harvard.edu
> > Subject: RE: st: PDF Stata 8 manuals
> >
> >
> > I have no idea how much profit Stata makes from their
> > manuals, but I would assume that Stata is primarily a
> > statistical software company and only secondarily a
> > publishing company.  I believe that improving the quality and
> > value of their software product is their most likely route to
> > further prosperity.  Stata is of limited value without the
> > documentation and the manuals are of no value whatsoever
> > without Stata. If improving the online documentation will
> > decrease profits from paper manuals, then I for one, would
> > recommend improving the online documentation and increasing
> > the cost of Stata licenses to make up for the lost revenue
> > from book sales.
> >
> > Bill Dupont
> *
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Philip Ryan
Associate Professor,
Department of Public Health
University of Adelaide 5005
South Australia
tel 61 8 8303 3570
fax 61 8 8223 4075
http://www.public-health.adelaide.edu.au/

*
*   For searches and help try:
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*   http://www.stata.com/support/statalist/faq
*   http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/