[net.micro.pc] Troubles with TDI Software, Inc.

barad@brand.UUCP (Herb Barad) (05/02/86)

I have just had a bad experience with TDI Software, Inc. of Dalas,
Texas.  I have a 4-page flyer that was mailed to a friend of mine
about 6 weeks ago.  He gave it to me knowing that I had a MacIntosh
and was interested in Modula-2.  The flyer describes the TDI
Modula-2/ST system (as well as some other products from TDI).  The
flyer lists many bullets describing the software.  Two of the bullets
are:

* Available NOW for the 520-ST, Amiga, and Mac
* Price $69.95

The 4th page of the flyer is an order form with prices for different
products for the 520-ST, Amiga, IBM PC, and Macintosh.  Since I wanted
a native compiler for the Mac, I decided to call them.  

I spoke to a salesman (I believe the name was Johnson) and he said the
they did not have any product for the Mac.  He knew nothing of any add
or that anything was ever planned for the Mac.  End of conversation.

After talking to a few friends who thought that this salesman just
wasn't aware of what was going on, I decided to call again.  This time
I spoke to a woman named Patty.  She also said that there was no such
product for the Mac.  She wanted to know whereI got the information.
I told her and she was not aware of this information.  After
complaining a little about why this flyer would say something like
this another gentleman got on the phone and said that the development
of this product for the Mac was cancelled because of the fact that
another company was coming out with a superior product.  I asked him
about the flyer (implying that this was false advertising since it
clearly stated that the compiler was available for the Mac).  He said
he was sorry that I felt that way.  End of conversation.

Both of these conversations were held on May 2 around 10:00 am PDT.

I don't see how any responsible company can publish any advertisement
that states that a product is available "NOW" and the product never in
fact materializes.  I wonder if others have had any trouble dealing
with TDI Software, Inc.

-- 


Herb Barad	[USC - Signal and Image Processing Institute]

USENET:		...!sdcrdcf!usc-oberon!brand!barad			or
		...!mcvax!seismo!sun!trwspf!brand!barad

ARPANET:	barad%brand@USC-ECL.ARPA

USMail:		Univ. of Southern California
		Powell Hall 306, MC-0272
		Los Angeles, CA 90089-0272
		phone: (213) 743-0911

dca@edison.UUCP (David C. Albrecht) (05/12/86)

> I don't see how any responsible company can publish any advertisement
> that states that a product is available "NOW" and the product never in
> fact materializes.

Sure, happens all the time, it's called vaporware.  As far as misleading
or just plain wrong advertising check out the ad copy for the AT&T UNIX
PC 7300.  Let me tell you it's a lulu.  From the ad copy it would seem
that all the software that most people think of as UNIX and then some
come with the machine all present and ready to go.   The words option,
available for, and purchase don't even pass their lips.  What actually
comes is a very high priced paperweight with no documentation of
ANY kind.  Getting the basic guts of SYS V is $500 (list) option.  Getting
the additional utilities to make a real UNIX (cc, make, yacc, lex, etc...)
is another $500 (list).  Definitely a buyer beware situation.  Don't get
me wrong it is a nice machine but merchandising it without SYS V borders
on criminally stupid, certainly the ad copy ought to make clear that
getting a useful "UNIX" machine requires investment in 1K of software.
Of course, the twits seem bent on selling it in the business market
instead of the low-end workstation market which is laughable anyway.
This is just to give fair warning to those interested in purchasing the
machine.  I've got a letter ready to go to AT&T that I plan to mail soon
if it doesn't burst into flame on my desk first.

David Albrecht

This is the opinion of one disgruntled consumer.  Despite some t-shirts
I've seen GE is NOT me.

cem@intelca.UUCP (05/13/86)

> 
> ... lots of stuff about TDI here ...
> 
> I don't see how any responsible company can publish any advertisement
> that states that a product is available "NOW" and the product never in
> fact materializes.  I wonder if others have had any trouble dealing
> with TDI Software, Inc.
> 
> Herb Barad	[USC - Signal and Image Processing Institute]
> 

Herb, I ordered their Modula-2 for the Amiga and got it right off,
(as in a week later). Not that I condone it but TDI wouldn't be
the first to advertise vapor ware. Now if they had taken your
money and told you the package was in the mail, then you would
really have a gripe (ask anyone that ordered JRT Pascal when it
"came out"). I hope you find the other vendor of which they spoke.

--Chuck McManis

-- 
                                            - - - D I S C L A I M E R - - - 
{ihnp4,fortune}!dual\                     All opinions expressed herein are my
        {qantel,idi}-> !intelca!cem       own and not those of my employer, my
 {ucbvax,hao}!hplabs/                     friends, or my avocado plant. :-}

robt@molihp.UUCP (Robert L Thurlow) (05/13/86)

In article <206@brand.UUCP> barad@brand.UUCP (Herb Barad) writes:
> ... TDI Modula-2/ST
>* Available NOW for the 520-ST, Amiga, and Mac
>* Price $69.95
>
>I spoke to a salesman (I believe the name was Johnson) and he said the
>they did not have any product for the Mac.  He knew nothing of any add
>or that anything was ever planned for the Mac.  End of conversation.
>
>Herb Barad	[USC - Signal and Image Processing Institute]
>

Looks like you just bought the wrong machine .... :-) :-) :-)

Seriously, it just looks like their marketing types decided to nix something
their tech people had already finished.  It happens.

#   UUCP : ...!ubc_vision!molihp!robt		Robert Thurlow		#
#   My thoughts are my own, and are void where prohibited by law.	#
#   "There was something fishy aboout the butler.  I think he was a	#
#    Pisces, probably working for scale."	-Nick Danger, 3rd Eye	#