kidwell@nswc-wo (11/13/85)
From: Michael Kidwell <kidwell@nswc-wo>
HELP COMMODORE
This past week-end I placed a deposit on a fully loaded amiga system with
a local DC area distributor. I was told that systems would be available
within 3 weeks. Last night I visited another dealer who had amigas stacked
to the roof and who was bad-mouthing the vendor I purchased the system from.
I was told that that firm had already gone bankrupt twice and that my
dollars were in jeopardy. I was further told that the amiga OS had so many
bugs that I couldn't support it myself and that my dealer could not either.
I was informed "if you bought from them, don't come back to us for support
."unless you are willing to pay $65 per hour."
Question - Since OS is software based, what happens if my chosen dealer
goes out of business. Can I go to another dealer and expect to be able
to copy an OS update free of charge or must I pay whatever the market
will bear? What is the Commodore policy on continued support post sale?
To avoid network congestion, please respond to kidwell@nswc-wo or
write: 804 Sligo Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910 or phone:
(202) 394-1745 (8 - 4:30 est) / (301) 587-5872 (evenings or answering
machine).
Michael Kidwell
-------Ghenis.pasa@Xerox.ARPA (11/13/85)
From: Ghenis.pasa@Xerox.ARPA Please summarize any responses you get and repost to info-amiga, this seems to be something of general interest.
kim@mips.UUCP (Kim DeVaughn) (11/16/85)
> From: Michael Kidwell <kidwell@nswc-wo> > > HELP COMMODORE [ ... ] > will bear? What is the Commodore policy on continued support post sale? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > To avoid network congestion, please respond to kidwell@nswc-wo or > write: 804 Sligo Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910 or phone: > (202) 394-1745 (8 - 4:30 est) / (301) 587-5872 (evenings or answering No, no, no! There's really only one site that can provide an answer to this question, and that's Commodore (i.e., Robert Pariseau, Dale Luck, Bruce Barrett, Neil Katin, or ???). I would really like to see this answered on the net, and I think there are a few other people who might be interested as well. My concern over this issue is (now that I have already spent several $$$$'s to get an Amiga) how will I be able to keep my machine current? Recently, there were some sources posted that used a feature called EXTRA_HALFBRITE mode. More recently, we've been told that although Daphne's headache has been cured by the newly designed R6 fashions, her new wardrobe which includes EXTRA_HALFBRITE won't be available till Spring. (For those of you who don't like anthropomorpisms, that means the 8362 chip won't be available at rev R6 in production machines until 1Q86.) Also, there has been a *RUMOR* on the net that Daphne's friend Angus is due for a new spin also (to reduce or eliminate flicker in 640x400 interlaced mode); I'd like to believe this RUMOR, but I have my doubts it can be done just by having Angus recant his sins. There's no doubt about the R6 Daphne tho ... she does exist, and she'll give you her 6-plane display if you treat her right according to her mentors at Commodore! So ... how do I entice this new Daphne (or any other substantive ECO's) into my machine? Will there be a board level "swap"? Will I have to return my Amiga to the factory for an "authorized upgrade"? Will I be able to get new chips thru the parts department (and rework instructions if any cuts or adds are required)? Will this be "for a nominal charge" or for "many $$'s"? Or will I end up regretting the decision I made to buy the machine early in its product life-cycle (and thereby demonstrate market support for it) by being told, "Sorry, Charlie ... there ain't no such thing as an upgrade. You want 6-planes (or whatever), go out and buy a new machine". Please note that I am NOT complaining about the machine having a few bugs in it ... I'd be awfully surprised if it didn't. I am concerned about getting the bugs that are in my system corrected as such fixes become available. For *myself*, I'd be satisfied if I could be apprised of bugs and fixes via periodic FSB's (Field Support Bulletins), and if I could buy new chip revs, etc. So I put the question to you, Commodore, what *is* your upgrade policy on the Amiga and Amiga peripherals? Thanks, /kim *** Climbs up on soapbox, his head in the clouds. *** P.S. I debated whether or not to post this as I certainly don't want to exacerbate what may be a somewhat awkward position for Bob P., and I certainly don't want to see any "inside information" that may find it's way onto the net reduced. I decided to go ahead and post it because if the Amiga is to become a successful machine *in the marketplace*, Commodore will have to formally address this question sooner or later. I would encourage them to do so "sooner", and to consider this: an "open architecture" is much more than just a well defined bus with pins coming out of a box, its providing the detailed information required to fully control the box to *anybody* (not just members of a select "club"), and its providing high-quality support and service, including "nominally priced upgrades". Though I doubt it was "engineered" to turn out as it has, IBM has certainly found the value in doing the above. They have even gone so far as to publish their ROM code and schematics. It is unusual for Blue to share information at this level of detail, but the results have helped to make them Number 1 in the marketplace. They've also made upgraded parts available even when the existing part might well be OK (including a new rev 8088 chip with any purchase of the 8087 Floating-Point chip, for example). I'd like to see Commodore be at least as responsive to customer needs as Blue has been. *** Climbs down off of soapbox, back into the real world. *** -- UUCP: {decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4}!decwrl!mips!kim DDD: 415-960-1200 USPS: MIPS Computer Systems Inc, 1330 Charleston Rd, Mt View, CA 94043