AWCTTYPA@UIAMVS.BITNET ("David A. Lyons") (02/28/89)
>Date: Sun, 26 Feb 89 10:06:05 PST >From: "Henry P. Dowst" <dowst@VLSI.JPL.NASA.GOV> Please note my (Dave L's) BIAS. I am a Forum Consultant for the Apple II Development Forum on AppleLink--Personal Edition. I don't get paid for it, but I'm compensated with a fair amount of free access to the system. >[...] the following items are fact. > > 1. Downloading a file at 2400 baud takes more time than > downloading the same file at 1200 baud. AL-PE Customer > Support says "the technical people are working on the > problem". Very weird. I only have 1200 baud (local TYMNET and TELENET nodes don't support 2400, or I'd buy a 2400 baud modem right away). I don't see why it would take longer, but possibly it has something to do with the buffering through TYMNET or TELENET. > 3. [...] Scanning bulletins and > finding new downloads are still awkward, slow, and > frustrating operations. Awkward is a judgement. Slow--I haven't timed it. Frustrating--not to me. >The following items are my own observations. > > 1. Customer Support answers their e-mail about 20% of the > time. They actually help about once in 10 answers. I haven't dealt with Customer Support much. If your questions are Apple-related rather than AppleLink--PE related, post them in a forum and you'll get a response 100% of the time, and useful information almost as often. > 2. Host software reliability seems to be decreasing, but > I can't say whether this reflects AL-PE or TYMNET > problems. The only trouble I've had is with TYMNET and TELENET--when I have trouble (unable to connect, or very slow response) with one, I just switch the phone numbers around to use the other one. (In _some_ cases the software automatically tries the second number, but not if it can connect as far as getting a modem to answer, apparently.) > 3. There is very little new download material. Compared to WHAT? For the kinds of things that _I_ download, at least, there's as much stuff there as on any other service that I use (CompuServe and GEnie). >Henry Dowst --David A. Lyons bitnet: awcttypa@uiamvs DAL Systems CompuServe: 72177,3233 P.O. Box 287 GEnie mail: D.LYONS2 North Liberty, IA 52317 AppleLinkPE: Dave Lyons