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From: FERGUSON@TMASL.EXXON.COM
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apollo
Subject: OS Updates and Solution Suppliers
Message-ID: <8908181731.AA15625@umix.cc.umich.edu>
Date: 18 Aug 89 17:28:00 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 42


Ever since I began administering Apollos, I've been plagued by a problem
outside of Apollo:

Whenever Apollo makes these radical OS changes, there's a HUGE (capital H)
time lag before the third party software/peripheral vendors bother to
come out with a new revision of their support software. For instance:

      Mercury Computer Systems MC3232 Array processor, driver software
      for SR10 is nowhere in sight.

      Real-Time Enterprises Optical Disk File Manager: No sr10 drivers.

    Way back when:

     Graftek CAD Software wasn't ready for sr9.5 for many months.
     I've heard they're not ready for sr10 yet either. In fact,
     they just released an update that only works on 9.7 recently.

     The list continues, but that's not the point.

Now, I've received driver software from Apollo for a Tektronix 4693
printer, and it's all set up with RAI installation procedures. I can't
install this software until I update to sr10. I CAN'T update to sr10
until the third parties get in gear, and support their customers.

Is there anything that Apollo/HP or us users as a group can do to
put more pressure on Solution suppliers to keep up with the pace
of the OS updates? I mean, I know that re-working software for
new OS revisions is a hassle, but I've always found new features
in the OS that the software could take advantage of, and the effort
has always been worthwhile. Plus, NOT keeping up puts us users in a
tight spot about a year after the Apollo revisions come out.

I'm assuming in the future that Apollo won't need to cause such major
waves like 9.2->9.5 and 9.7->10, but then again...

Scott Ferguson
ferguson@erevax.bitnet
(201)730-2339
Exxon Research & Engineering
Annandale, NJ 08801