[Mpi-forum] MPI-next

[Rolf Rabenseifner]

Perfect // 3 opinions // 1 positive + 2 negative about an MPI book //
nearly exactly the 30%/70% that I expected.

Rolf


----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jeff Hammond" <jeff.science at gmail.com>
> To: "Main MPI Forum mailing list" <mpi-forum at lists.mpi-forum.org>
> Cc: "Main MPI Forum mailing list" <mpi-forum at lists.mpi-forum.org>
> Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2014 3:13:24 PM
> Subject: Re: [Mpi-forum] MPI-next
> 
> I love the printed copy and carry it with me often. When I'm on an
> airplane, it's something they can't ask me to turn off. It's also
> not something that would be appealing to thieves.
> 
> I guess I'm a Luddite for preferring real books.  Maybe I'll be
> considered a book bigot by our future sentient robot overlords for
> saying this :-)
> 
> Jeff
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
> > On Feb 22, 2014, at 7:54 AM, "Gropp, William D"
> > <wgropp at illinois.edu> wrote:
> > 
> > And I'll add another alternate.  For the few users who want a
> > reference copy, the PDF is now superior, now that tablets and
> > ebook readers are now usable.  I keep mine on my iPad, accessed
> > through iAnnotate.
> > Bill
> > 
> > Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE DROID
> > 
> > 
> > "N.M. Maclaren" <nmm1 at cam.ac.uk> wrote:
> > 
> > On Feb 22 2014, Rolf Rabenseifner wrote:
> > >
> > >as input for your discussions I'll give you some background about
> > >the
> > >MPI-2.1/2.2/3.0 book selling which includes some lessens learned,
> > >which may influence your decisions on MPI-3.1 and 4.0,
> > >see conclusions at the end.
> > 
> > An alternate view:
> > 
> > >- About 30% of MPI programmers who physically get in touch with
> > >the book,
> > >  buy the book (it is the cheapest useful screen extension they
> > >  can buy ;-)
> > >
> > >  ==> I expect a similar rate in the MPI Forum
> > 
> > Yes, indeed, but NOT among the MPI-using community as a whole.
> > 
> > Few people have much difficulty actually using the MPI facilities,
> > once
> > over the initial learning curve, and rarely look at ANY reference
> > on it.
> > Their ongoing problems are almost all due to the management of the
> > data
> > and its distribution (surprise, surprise!)
> > 
> > A high proportion of them program from multiple locations, usually
> > work
> > and home, but often have multiple offices, and some do design
> > and/or
> > coding at external meetings.
> > 
> > I doubt that even 30% of the MPI-using community look at the actual
> > standard more than a couple of times a year and, for those people,
> > it
> > isn't just the price but the shelf space and weight of a 1,000 page
> > book (which is what MPI 4.0 will be).
> > 
> > In Cambridge, I doubt that more than 5% of the MPI-using community
> > would buy the book even the offer and book were delivered to their
> > desk.
> > But we have always been one of the most distributed and
> > network-centric
> > universities in the world.  It might be higher elsewhere.
> > 
> > 
> > Regards,
> > Nick Maclaren.
> > 
> > _______________________________________________
> > mpi-forum mailing list
> > mpi-forum at lists.mpi-forum.org
> > http://lists.mpi-forum.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/mpi-forum
> > _______________________________________________
> > mpi-forum mailing list
> > mpi-forum at lists.mpi-forum.org
> > http://lists.mpi-forum.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/mpi-forum
> 
> _______________________________________________
> mpi-forum mailing list
> mpi-forum at lists.mpi-forum.org
> http://lists.mpi-forum.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/mpi-forum

-- 
Dr. Rolf Rabenseifner . . . . . . . . . .. email rabenseifner at hlrs.de
High Performance Computing Center (HLRS) . phone ++49(0)711/685-65530
University of Stuttgart . . . . . . . . .. fax ++49(0)711 / 685-65832
Head of Dpmt Parallel Computing . . . www.hlrs.de/people/rabenseifner
Nobelstr. 19, D-70550 Stuttgart, Germany . . . . (Office: Room 1.307)