[fa.info-cpm] Superbrain Reputation

C70:info-cpm (07/29/82)

>From w8sdz@BRL Thu Jul 29 01:34:06 1982
This one sure is newsy.  Replies to address below, not me, please.

----- Forwarded message # 1:

Date: 28 July 1982 01:12-EDT
From: Charles F Von Rospach <CHUQUI@Mit-Mc>
Subject:  Superbrain Reputation
To: Heiby at Hi-Multics
cc: info-micro at Brl
Via:  Mit-Mc; 28 Jul 82 1:11-EDT
Via:  Brl; 28 Jul 82 1:18-EDT
Via:  Brl-Bmd; 28 Jul 82 1:23-EDT


While I have not used the Intertec Superbrain, I did work for a company at 
one time that used the Intertube II. I ran into the following problems with
the terminals at one time or another:

1) Intertec has a policy of warranties from manufacture date, not purchase
   date.. This means that most if not all of your warranty can be used up 
   while the terminal is on the manufacturers shelf (I found that 25-40
   days of actual warranty was typical).

2) Intertec seems to have a policy of shipping DOA's. Fully 30% of the
   terminals did not function on initial delivery. Intertec was VERY slow
   in repair. I found that we could easily rely on them taking 3-5 months
   to repair a DOA (not replace it), therefore removing any warranty left
   over when we got it (since they did not extend or renew warranties on 
   repair).

3) When we finally got fed up with their service, we ordered a set of
   schematics from the company (for something like $125<!>) so that we could
   hire someone locally to fix them. There were four different revision
   levels of schematics on various pages for the SAME board. After doing 
   some research,  we found out that NONE of them came close to matching
   the terminal we really had. Upon discussing this fact with Intertec, we
   were told to return the schematics for replacement/refund. This we did,
   by certified mail with a reply letter. To date, Intertec has not admitted
   receiving them, telling us to return them, or mailing them in the first
   place.

4) Our final order of Intertube's was for 12. 11 of them arrived DOA. We 
   notified Intertec that they were not acceptable, we were returning them,
   we would NOT pay for them, and that we would not order any in the future.
   We also asked for return instructions (since we were not returning them
   for repairs which we had memorized by that time). Their reply, through 
   their lawyers, was that if we didn't pay within 30 days, they would seek
   payment through small claims court. We replied, to their lawyers, that we 
   would be MORE than happy to return the terminals (with our reasons) and
   that as soon as the lawyers approved, they could expect the terminals in 
   their law offices via UPS. We have not yet received a reply for that (its
   been about 2 years).

5) All the above is mainly about the company, which I have heard has not 
   changed much. As far as the actual terminal (which may or may not relate
   to the Superbrain): The user manuals were unreadable, incomprehensible,
   and usually incorrect. the cursor controls documented rarely matched the
   way the firmware implemented them.

6) The firmware was unbelievable buggy. The hardware was under-designed and
   prone to failure. It generated spurious characters, had a tendency to 
   lock its keyboard, and generally made life miserable. The fastest we could
   reliably run the terminal with minimal cursor controls (XY and Form Feed)
   was 1200 baud. One of its best features was that it was possible to change
   the internal clock speed to match 50Hz or 60Hz from the keyboard. It also
   seemed to like to generate that code spuriously, causing some of the most 
   interesting screen graphic displays I have ever seen (on a non-graphics 
   terminal.


They might have changed the way they do things since then. I don't know.
>From what I have HEARD, the only way to buy a Superbrain is to find a
reliable dealer who will ship you the unit directly from the factory
(rather than his stock), and will extend the warranty from his own
pocket. From the track record I have had with the firm, I would not be
caught DEAD with anything by the company, and you could not give it to
me.

chuck

(chuqui at mit-mc)



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