CJC105@psuvm.psu.edu (Chris) (04/08/90)
Looking in the Feb '90 issue of Amiga World I see that Creative Computers
is selling:
PCLO for 199,
PCLO+ for 399,
BoardMaster for 64.94
Please correct me if I'm wrong but isn't BoardMaster an improved and updated
version of PCLO? If so, I think I might have a little talk with the manager
at Creative Computers. Certainly they are a company that I wouldn't want to
be dealing with.
Chris Conrad
cjc105@psuvm.bitnettomb@hplsla.HP.COM (Tom Bruhns) (04/10/90)
CJC105@psuvm.psu.edu (Chris) writes: >Looking in the Feb '90 issue of Amiga World I see that Creative Computers >is selling: > > PCLO for 199, > PCLO+ for 399, > BoardMaster for 64.94 > >Please correct me if I'm wrong but isn't BoardMaster an improved and updated >version of PCLO? If so, I think I might have a little talk with the manager >at Creative Computers. Certainly they are a company that I wouldn't want to >be dealing with. You sure that isn't the _game_ BoardMaster? I understand that there is both the PC design SW and a game by that name.
CJC105@psuvm.psu.edu (Chris) (04/10/90)
In article <5160091@hplsla.HP.COM>, tomb@hplsla.HP.COM (Tom Bruhns) says: > >CJC105@psuvm.psu.edu (Chris) writes: >> >>Please correct me if I'm wrong but isn't BoardMaster an improved and updated >>version of PCLO? If so, I think I might have a little talk with the manager >>at Creative Computers. Certainly they are a company that I wouldn't want to >>be dealing with. > >You sure that isn't the _game_ BoardMaster? I understand that there is >both the PC design SW and a game by that name. Well, it's listed under UTILITIES so it's not the game. My feeling is that they got screwed when they stopped supporting PCLO and Creative Computers is is nice enough to pass this on to unknowing customers.
swarren@convex.com (Steve Warren) (04/10/90)
In article <90099.220442CJC105@psuvm.psu.edu> CJC105@psuvm.psu.edu (Chris) writes: >In article <5160091@hplsla.HP.COM>, tomb@hplsla.HP.COM (Tom Bruhns) says: >>CJC105@psuvm.psu.edu (Chris) writes: >>>Please correct me if I'm wrong but isn't BoardMaster an improved and updated >>>version of PCLO? If so, I think I might have a little talk with the manager >>>at Creative Computers. Certainly they are a company that I wouldn't want to >>>be dealing with. >>You sure that isn't the _game_ BoardMaster? I understand that there is >>both the PC design SW and a game by that name. >Well, it's listed under UTILITIES so it's not the game. My feeling is that >they got screwed when they stopped supporting PCLO and Creative Computers is >is nice enough to pass this on to unknowing customers. This whole discussion is going over my head. Will someone please explain to me why "an improved and updated version of PCLO" that sells for 1/5 the price of PCLO reflects badly on Creative Computers or would be a problem for customers? Personally I'd like to order it right now, at that price (all things above being true). So what is the story? -- --Steve DISCLAIMER: All opinions are my own (I don't speak for Convex) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- {uunet,sun}!convex!swarren; swarren@convex.COM
cmcmanis@stpeter.Sun.COM (Chuck McManis) (04/11/90)
In article <90097.202141CJC105@psuvm.psu.edu> (Chris) writes: >Looking in the Feb '90 issue of Amiga World I see that Creative Computers >is selling: > > PCLO for 199, > PCLO+ for 399, > BoardMaster for 64.94 > >Please correct me if I'm wrong but isn't BoardMaster an improved and updated >version of PCLO? If so, I think I might have a little talk with the manager >at Creative Computers. Certainly they are a company that I wouldn't want to >be dealing with. Well they are the same and BoardMaster is the latest. Anyway, CC originally paid good money for PCLO and like all ?good? businesses they are probably just passing their costs on to the consumer. And while BoardMaster is an ok product and worth the $65 dollars they want for it, I would probably pay another $100 to get a decent manual for it. The one that comes with it looks like a printout of a giant ReadMe file. This is not to say it isn't complete, merely that extracting information out of it is tougher than killing Lord Chaos in Dungeon Master. Another problem with it is the way it generates plots, since the program is based around building little cells each with a little trace going through it from one edge to one edge that is what the plot ends up as, a zillion little tiny lines. This wipes out the otherwise quite wonderful PLT: handler because PLT: trys to buffer up all the lines before rasterizing the image to the printer. The "sample" board has over 64,000 lines in it which ate up more than 1.8MB of memory before I gave up on it. --Chuck McManis Sun Microsystems uucp: {anywhere}!sun!cmcmanis BIX: <none> Internet: cmcmanis@Eng.Sun.COM These opinions are my own and no one elses, but you knew that didn't you. "I tell you this parrot is bleeding deceased!"
cmcmanis@stpeter.Sun.COM (Chuck McManis) (04/12/90)
In article <101328@convex.convex.com> swarren@convex.com (Steve Warren) writes: >Will someone please explain to me why "an improved and updated version of >PCLO" that sells for 1/5 the price of PCLO reflects badly on Creative >Computers or would be a problem for customers? The original poster had a problem with CC selling PCLO+ for $300 when BoardMaster was the same program and was selling for $65. Now clearly the poster wouldn't mistakenly buy PCLO+ because he knew better but some consumer who didn't know better might. Further, he felt that it was unethical of CC not to disclose this situation. Unfortunately, our retail system works more on the principal of caveat emptor and not "the government will guarantee that you won't be misled." I presume everyone realizes this and so they investigate all their purchases before making them and thus CC won't fool anyone who didn't want to be fooled. >Personally I'd like to order it right now, at that price (all things above >being true). All what things? It is a PC layout program, it lists for $75 or so, and Black Belt Systems bought the rights to it and since they didn't have to recoup development costs they could sell it at a much lower price. --Chuck McManis Sun Microsystems uucp: {anywhere}!sun!cmcmanis BIX: <none> Internet: cmcmanis@Eng.Sun.COM These opinions are my own and no one elses, but you knew that didn't you. "I tell you this parrot is bleeding deceased!"