Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!ames!ncar!oddjob!mimsy!aplcen!wb3ffv!howardl From: howardl@wb3ffv.UUCP (Howard Leadmon ) Newsgroups: comp.unix.microport Subject: Re: Support matters Summary: Another side of the story... Keywords: A working product is the key Message-ID: <723@wb3ffv.UUCP> Date: 9 Aug 88 19:34:15 GMT References: <294@gandalf.littlei.UUCP> <236@belltec.UUCP> <6475@bcsaic.UUCP> <1519@ddsw1.UUCP> Organization: Fast Computer Service, Inc. - Middle River, MD Lines: 66 In article <1519@ddsw1.UUCP>, learn@ddsw1.UUCP (William Vajk) writes: > > In October or so of last year, I purchased an upgrade, and the serial > drivers were still not fixed. When I phoned to complain, the first > question was "do you have a support contract ?" Well I really have to believe that the serial port problems with Uport 286 must be dependant on various hardware combinations, and here is why I say this. When Uport released the 1.3.6 version of V/AT I purchased it and installed it on a 130meg Compaq Deskpro-386, and in this configuration I added a Digicom/8 (eight port dumb card). This was hooked up as a four user system, and running all the terminals plus one Hayes 2400 modem I NEVER experienced the serial problems that many on the net talk about (and yes it has been run under load). Over time the machine has been upgraded to the 2.2 V/AT release, and still NO PROBLEMS have occoured. So am I just LUCKY, or dosen't the Deskpro/386 have the problems the rest of you experience. Also as a side note, I ran an AT (286) clone that was sporting the CHIPS set and a standard AT serial/parallel card from an original IBM AT, this machine also exibited NO SERIAL problem under the 2.2 release of Uport, but the machine was only in service for a month since it was replaced with a 386 system and Uport V/386 which runs even better. > One of my beefs with uport, and I've stated this time and again in this > newsgroup, is that support is never supposed to mean paying a publisher > to cover their tracks for screwups. Support is supposed to mean helping > a customer lacking information or experience to use the product. I've > never once requested _support_ from your firm. For many months I have > asked uport to fix the product. Well I will agreee with you on the statement made above, and Uport should NOT charge anybody the cost os a support contract when all they want are bugs reported/fixed in the original release that was shipped to them. For this reason I too have only purchased the UPDATE service, since due to my years of UNIX experience I really don't require hand holding... > A closing thought or few. > > If uport were an automobile manufacturer, they'd have been in bankruptcy > a long time ago because of recalls to which the automotive industry > is subject. It is the sort of thing that uport is doing that might well > establish textbook cases for fraud in software publishing, and attendant > personal liability for corporate officers in this industry. > > Bill (fix the product) Vajk learn@igloo OK Bill, I can see where a lot of people have been upset with Uport, and at times I have been iritated with them myself, but let's give John a chance to work on improving!! I have talked to John Ploucher several times over the past couple weeks, and I really believe he is making a sincere effort to help the masses, but that takes time. If you were put in his position and really wanted to make a difference, could you do it over night ?? I doubt it, and for that reason I am willing to sit back and give John some breating room, and then maby after some time if the horrible problems exist (not that I really have many problems with Uport) then you can get fired up at John. From what I have seen and heard from John in the past several weeks, I am impressed with his effort, and if more people will give him a chance to help I believe you will also be impressed.. [Flames to /dev/null] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UUCP/SMTP : howardl@wb3ffv | Howard D. Leadmon PACKET : WB3FFV @ W3ITM | Fast Computer Service, Inc. IP Address: 44.60.0.1 | P.O. Box 171 Telephone : (301)-335-2206 | Chase, MD 21027-0171