Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.csd.uwm.edu!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!TMASL.EXXON.COM!FERGUSON 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