jpdres10@usl-pc.usl.edu (Green Eric Lee) (09/12/88)
I came across the following article on the Fidonet Amiga echomail
forum. It makes serious accusations regarding Aegis Development. I
doubt the validity of many of the allegations, and especially the
conclusions that our Unknown Poster comes to. But trying to hush it up
will do no good.
In my opinion, if the facts are right, Aegis is going through the
normal trials and travails of a small software company (most of which
are continually trembling on the edge of dissolution anyhow). The
poster asserts otherwise. I'll include the forwarded message, then
we'll see what related parties have to say:
Eric Green
elg@killer.UUCP
{backbone}!killer!elg
--
From: The Unknown
To: All Amiga User's Msg #242, 10-Sep-88 04:49pm
Subject: Aegis Development
This file is for anyone who owns an Amiga or anyone who knows someone
who owns one. The purpose of this file is for us to help the Amiga
community with facts and information concerning a major Amiga software
distributor and their dealings which border on the illegal. Please
pass this file on to everyone you know. One of the major software
distributors - Aegis Development, Inc. has recently seen a major
staff shakeup. Their old president David Barett has ousted their
newly replaced president who originally ousted Mr. Barett. Since his
recent replacement many actions have occured which are of great
importance to users of the Amiga; especially regarding money. Firstly,
let us emphasize that if you are an owner of any of Aegis` software
(Draw Plus, Diga!, Sonix, etc.) you should not expect any updates to
appear in the near future if at all because Aegis has not paid any of
its developers in several months, and even more importantly Aegis is
planning to center on the Macintosh II computer leaving the Amiga as
second Bfiddle. If you own Draw, or Draw Plus you should never expect
an update because their programmer and co-owner Mr. William Volk has
resigned from the company along with several key employees and
co-owners. Aegis is currently working with a severely limited staff
due to the resignation of their employees and a major cash flow
problem which may cause them no alternative but to file Chapter 11 in
the near future. Aegis also has the worst support of their products
that can be imagined; since their staff resigned we have been left
with nothing but an answering machine to talk to.
Due to the amount of problems with their software (i.e. the bug
ridden Diga!, the new VideoScape 3D which has major problems, and most
of their other software) and their staff resignation the combination
has caused us owners to pay the price. Aegis has been hoping for some
investors to bail them out of their problems, but nobody has been
interested due to the debt they have incurred (rumoured to be in the
hundreds of thousands of d'X@ars). Many of us have ordered the
program Lights, Camera, Action with the promise that we would be the
first to receive (we ordered it several months ago - and they
definitely kept my cash) and lo and behold I walk into the computer
store to see several hundred copies sitting on the floor. One of our
friends who works for a major software distributor is also thinking of
dropping Aegis like a hot potato because they had sent copies of
programs to certain stores and distributors way ahead of others.
Aegis had also done the same thing with me personally with their
VideoScape 3D program upgrade version 2.0. Me and hundreds of others
had sent in their checks with the promise that we would receive our
upgrades within a few weeks. Well, I did finally receive my upgrade
only 3 months later and they sure didn't wait to cash my check (it was
cashed two weeks after I sent it!). I have since been told that
according to the United States Postal Code this is a definite
infringement of the law. I have since realized that the Lights,
Camera, Action program does nothing that their VideoTitler program
doesn't do with exception to playing Sonix scores. This can easily be
done using Mark Riley's shareware program "Player" for the exact same
effect! Aside from this I would also like to emphasize that the
overall quality of Aegis programs has dramatically decreased within
the past year; from Diga! to their latest you can be guaranteed that
you will be faced with a visit from the Guru at leat a few times.
So be weary if you do any business with Aegis for a purchase of an
Aegis product entails a lot more than one can imagine. Better yet, we
recommend a boycott of Aegis software and let them meet their obvious
fate. If this information helps at least one person out there then we
have done what we have set out to do. If you also have experienced
problems with Aegis software then we urge you to please let others
know about. Us Amiga owners have to stick together and only if we
hardware for this fine computer. in the way of better software and
---
* Origin: Rising Star - Dallas (Origin of Echomail) (Opus 1:124/206)richard@gryphon.CTS.COM (Richard Sexton) (09/18/88)
None of this is news. Aegis is hardly a new company; has a reputation
for bouncing cheques to developers and is most certainly concentrating
on Mac ][ stuff. This is news ?
I think not.
Try to get more fibre.
--
Life is fishforks.
richard@gryphon.CTS.COM {backbone}!gryphon!richardewhac@well.UUCP (Leo 'Bols Ewhac' Schwab) (09/19/88)
In article <34@usl-pc.usl.edu> elg@killer.UUCP posts "The Unknown's" article: >* Origin: Rising Star - Dallas (Origin of Echomail) (Opus 1:124/206) >From: The Unknown >To: All Amiga User's Msg #242, 10-Sep-88 04:49pm >Subject: Aegis Development > >This file is for anyone who owns an Amiga or anyone who knows someone >who owns one. [ handwave, handwave ] One of the major software >distributors - Aegis Development, Inc. has recently seen a major >staff shakeup. [ ... ] True. However, it has yet to be seen what the ultimate result of this will be. >Since his >recent replacement many actions have occured which are of great >importance to users of the Amiga; especially regarding money. [ ... ] >...Aegis has not paid any of >its developers in several months, I know this to be untrue. Some (overdue) checks have been sent to developers within the last month. >...even more importantly Aegis is >planning to center on the Macintosh II computer leaving the Amiga as >second Bfiddle. Aegis, being small, must take advantage of the software technology they have developed on the Amiga, and use it to crack the Mac-][ market and establish themselves there. While your blood may boil at this, take heart in the knowledge that Aegis will no doubt soak the unenlightened Mac-][ users for three to ten times what we pay for the stuff, which will leave Aegis with more resources to do Amiga stuff. >[ ... ] Mr. William Volk has resigned from the company [ ... ] ...And now works for Activi... er, MediaGenic. >Aegis is currently working with a severely limited staff >due to the resignation of their employees and a major cash flow >problem which may cause them no alternative but to file Chapter 11 in >the near future. They most certainly will if your boycott takes effect. >I have since realized that the Lights, >Camera, Action program does nothing that their VideoTitler program >doesn't do with exception to playing Sonix scores. This can easily be >done using Mark Riley's shareware program "Player" for the exact same >effect! Have you checked this? I heard that on-screen video can be synchronized to the Sonix score, which can't be done with Player. >Aside from this I would also like to emphasize that the >overall quality of Aegis programs has dramatically decreased within >the past year; from Diga! to their latest you can be guaranteed that >you will be faced with a visit from the Guru at leat a few times. As a beta tester for VideoScape 2.0 and Modeller 3D, I can state with near certainty that you will not see a Guru from these products. >Better yet, we [ We? Who are 'we'? Ed. ] >recommend a boycott of Aegis software and let them meet their obvious >fate. Wonderful. Stuart Ferguson just finished Modeller 3D, a perfectly wonderful program, and it is now available (I've seen two shrink-wrapped boxes, and I have one of them). Stu put a lot into this, and I think he deserves something out of it. I'd like to see him be able to eat well so that he can keep working on the iff.library in his spare time. Understand that, by boycotting, you will be hurting the very developers you want to see helped. Don't think I'm sitting on a high horse here. There is a certain software company (not Aegis) that owes me $2000 for what I consider to be some very good code I wrote for them. Now I could easily come here and say, "Penny-Pinching Septic Tank Software hasn't paid me my money! Boycott them until they submit!" and you'd all probably boycott them. But I haven't done that, largely because if I did, their sales would be (perhaps severely) depressed, and what chance then would I have of getting my money? So I bug them about it (probably far too infrequently) and I expect to get my money eventually. I should also probably nail them for 5.25% interest over the time they've delayed payment, but I doubt I could convince them to do that. >If this information helps at least one person out there then we >have done what we have set out to do. [ ... ] But if it damages one good person, have you done the right thing? One of the developers has told me that he's going to stick it out as long as he can. He believes that Barret is trying to put the company back together, and isn't ready to "stab him in the back" yet. His patience and unequivocal insistence paid off: He was paid for an overdue quarter. It remains to be seen if he'll be paid for the current quarter. But he thinks Barret can pull it off, and is willing to give him some space. For a while. It's okay to be pissed off and outraged at an obvious injustice. But be sure your response is appropriate and well-considered. [ Geez, when did I get so reasonable? ] _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ Leo L. Schwab -- The Guy in The Cape INET: well!ewhac@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU \_ -_ Recumbent Bikes: UUCP: pacbell > !{well,unicom}!ewhac O----^o The Only Way To Fly. hplabs / (pronounced "AE-wack") "Work FOR? I don't work FOR anybody! I'm just having fun." -- The Doctor
dml@loral.UUCP (Dave Lewis) (09/20/88)
Don't start bashing Aegis, and especially don't accuse 'em of cashing checks and holding delivery. I ordered Modeler-3D (through the Aegis Preferred mailing list) in June. They cashed the check on Sept. 2; I received the package on Sept. 14. I haven't heard of anyone else who's even SEEN Modeler-3D, much less got one before me. I got quite a bit of help from Bill Volk last year when I had trouble configuring Draw+ for use with a serial plotter. Sorry to hear he's gone. Don't expect upgrades for Draw+? Well, there are some things I'd like to see changed, but they're minor compared to all the things Draw+ does right. -- X/2 = 1/2 X. Then OS/2 = 1/2 OS and PS/2 = 1/2 PS, right? -- Dave Lewis Loral Instrumentation San Diego (619) 282-3341 ihnp4 --\ bang --\ kontron -\ hp-sdd --\ calmasd ->-> crash ->--> loral!dml sdcrdcf -->--------> sdcsvax -/ (uucp)