Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!convex!killer!pollux!dalsqnt!usl!usl-pc!jpdres10 From: jpdres10@usl-pc.usl.edu (Green Eric Lee) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Aegis rumor (?) Message-ID: <34@usl-pc.usl.edu> Date: 12 Sep 88 02:14:48 GMT Reply-To: elg@killer.UUCP Organization: Univ. of Southwestern La., Lafayette Lines: 85 I came across the following article on the Fidonet Amiga echomail forum. It makes serious accusations regarding Aegis Development. I doubt the validity of many of the allegations, and especially the conclusions that our Unknown Poster comes to. But trying to hush it up will do no good. In my opinion, if the facts are right, Aegis is going through the normal trials and travails of a small software company (most of which are continually trembling on the edge of dissolution anyhow). The poster asserts otherwise. I'll include the forwarded message, then we'll see what related parties have to say: Eric Green elg@killer.UUCP {backbone}!killer!elg -- From: The Unknown To: All Amiga User's Msg #242, 10-Sep-88 04:49pm Subject: Aegis Development This file is for anyone who owns an Amiga or anyone who knows someone who owns one. The purpose of this file is for us to help the Amiga community with facts and information concerning a major Amiga software distributor and their dealings which border on the illegal. Please pass this file on to everyone you know. One of the major software distributors - Aegis Development, Inc. has recently seen a major staff shakeup. Their old president David Barett has ousted their newly replaced president who originally ousted Mr. Barett. Since his recent replacement many actions have occured which are of great importance to users of the Amiga; especially regarding money. Firstly, let us emphasize that if you are an owner of any of Aegis` software (Draw Plus, Diga!, Sonix, etc.) you should not expect any updates to appear in the near future if at all because Aegis has not paid any of its developers in several months, and even more importantly Aegis is planning to center on the Macintosh II computer leaving the Amiga as second Bfiddle. If you own Draw, or Draw Plus you should never expect an update because their programmer and co-owner Mr. William Volk has resigned from the company along with several key employees and co-owners. Aegis is currently working with a severely limited staff due to the resignation of their employees and a major cash flow problem which may cause them no alternative but to file Chapter 11 in the near future. Aegis also has the worst support of their products that can be imagined; since their staff resigned we have been left with nothing but an answering machine to talk to. Due to the amount of problems with their software (i.e. the bug ridden Diga!, the new VideoScape 3D which has major problems, and most of their other software) and their staff resignation the combination has caused us owners to pay the price. Aegis has been hoping for some investors to bail them out of their problems, but nobody has been interested due to the debt they have incurred (rumoured to be in the hundreds of thousands of d'X@ars). Many of us have ordered the program Lights, Camera, Action with the promise that we would be the first to receive (we ordered it several months ago - and they definitely kept my cash) and lo and behold I walk into the computer store to see several hundred copies sitting on the floor. One of our friends who works for a major software distributor is also thinking of dropping Aegis like a hot potato because they had sent copies of programs to certain stores and distributors way ahead of others. Aegis had also done the same thing with me personally with their VideoScape 3D program upgrade version 2.0. Me and hundreds of others had sent in their checks with the promise that we would receive our upgrades within a few weeks. Well, I did finally receive my upgrade only 3 months later and they sure didn't wait to cash my check (it was cashed two weeks after I sent it!). I have since been told that according to the United States Postal Code this is a definite infringement of the law. I have since realized that the Lights, Camera, Action program does nothing that their VideoTitler program doesn't do with exception to playing Sonix scores. This can easily be done using Mark Riley's shareware program "Player" for the exact same effect! Aside from this I would also like to emphasize that the overall quality of Aegis programs has dramatically decreased within the past year; from Diga! to their latest you can be guaranteed that you will be faced with a visit from the Guru at leat a few times. So be weary if you do any business with Aegis for a purchase of an Aegis product entails a lot more than one can imagine. Better yet, we recommend a boycott of Aegis software and let them meet their obvious fate. If this information helps at least one person out there then we have done what we have set out to do. If you also have experienced problems with Aegis software then we urge you to please let others know about. Us Amiga owners have to stick together and only if we hardware for this fine computer. in the way of better software and --- * Origin: Rising Star - Dallas (Origin of Echomail) (Opus 1:124/206)