kolodny@husc4.UUCP (Jonathan Kolodny) (08/10/89)
To all Microsoft Excel 1.5 users, and concerned citizens: I don't usually flame about software companies, but I just had an experience at the MacWorld Industry Day which really angered me. As a Microsoft Excel 1.5 owner who just purchased a Mac IIcx, I noticed that my version of Excel did not print the "running 6888x coprocessor" message which it prints upon startup on the Mac IIs here at work. I figured that the version of Excel did not print out the message because it found a 68882 instead of a 68881, but it used it nonetheless. When I asked a product support person at the Expo, however, he informed me that, due to an "undocumented change in the System software upgrade by Apple", Version 1.5 of Excel will not recognize math coprocessors on machines newer than a Mac II running System 6.0 or above. He told me to call the Customer Support at Microsoft, and they would mail me a copy of 1.5a, (though he told me that they may not know what it is, and I should tell them that it is the version that solves the aforementioned bug). He said that the product support people at the Expo were not equipped yet to deal with the problem. When I asked him if registered Excel owners would receive notice of the bug, he replied (and this is the kicker): "No, we figured that such a small percentage of our users will have this problem, it isn't worth mailing about it. And besides, you can always upgrade to Version 2.2 which also solves the problem..." Great - I can pay an additional $100 for features I don't want, to solve a problem I had to find out about myself. Some product support! And to think I'm actually considering working for these people some day! If anyone else was bothered by this problem, I urge you to call their product support and ask for Version 1.5a. Tell them I sent you. Flaming off, Jonathan Kolodny Programmer/Software Developer Harvard Computer Services
steve@violet.berkeley.edu (Steve Goldfield) (08/10/89)
In article <2409@husc6.harvard.edu> kolodny@husc4.UUCP writes:
#>I don't usually flame about software companies, but I just had an
#>experience at the MacWorld Industry Day which really angered me. As a
#>Microsoft Excel 1.5 owner who just purchased a Mac IIcx, I noticed that my
#>version of Excel did not print the "running 6888x coprocessor" message
#>which it prints upon startup on the Mac IIs here at work. I figured that
#>the version of Excel did not print out the message because it found a 68882
#>instead of a 68881, but it used it nonetheless. When I asked a product
I'm running Excel 1.5 on my Mac II in which I installed a 68882.
Excel reports that it is using the 68881 on startup. I conclude
that it only checks to see if there is a coprocessor but doesn't
really look to see what kind. Whether any of the newer versions
will do so or not, who knows. Perhaps they assume the type
of coprocessor from the type of machine.
Steve Goldfieldngg@bridge2.ESD.3Com.COM (Norman Goodger) (08/16/89)
In article <2409@husc6.harvard.edu> kolodny@husc4.UUCP writes: >To all Microsoft Excel 1.5 users, and concerned citizens: > >I don't usually flame about software companies, but I just had an >experience at the MacWorld Industry Day which really angered me. As a >Microsoft Excel 1.5 owner who just purchased a Mac IIcx, I noticed that my >version of Excel did not print the "running 6888x coprocessor" message >which it prints upon startup on the Mac IIs here at work. I figured that >the version of Excel did not print out the message because it found a 68882 >instead of a 68881, but it used it nonetheless. There is a CDEV called Cache Control I think that includes a way to automatically patch Excel so that it knows about the 882. Not sure specfically how it works, but it appears to. There has also been patches posted that you can do to Excel that will also solve this problem. If someone has those patches somewhere, It might be good to repost them for those that do not want to use 2.2 with 030 machines. -- Norm Goodger SysOp - MacInfo BBS @415-795-8862 3Com Corp. Co-SysOp FreeSoft RT - GEnie. Enterprise Systems Division (I disclaim anything and everything) UUCP: {3comvax,auspex,sun}!bridge2!ngg Internet: ngg@bridge2.ESD.3Com.COM
straka@cbnewsc.ATT.COM (richard.j.straka) (08/17/89)
Warning: MS flame! Has anyone noticed what happens if you use PopIt! 1.72 with MS Word 4.0? Try it some time, but make sure not to have any unsaved work around! (answer: screwed up (inaccessible) menu bar and crash and burn time) MS response: ~"We can't go around and make sure that our menus are compatible with everybody else's utility software, you know. Are you sure that the author of PopIt! is in compliance with IM?" Given history (and the fact that I have yet to see any incompatibilities between PopIt and other people's software), any guesses as to who's in compliance, and who's not?
sellers@ncrcae.Columbia.NCR.COM (Todd Sellers) (09/15/89)
In article <2493@cbnewsc.ATT.COM> straka@cbnewsc.ATT.COM (richard.j.straka) writes: >Warning: MS flame! > >Has anyone noticed what happens if you use PopIt! 1.72 with MS Word 4.0? > >Try it some time, but make sure not to have any unsaved work around! >(answer: screwed up (inaccessible) menu bar and crash and burn time) > When this happened to me I was under Multifinder with macsbug installed. The system went into the macsbug monitor and I used ES to get back to MF. I then tried to pull down the Special (under MultiFinder) menu and for some reason the Apple menu came down and then it was locked up. All I could do was push the programmers switch and wait for it to reset all of the SCSI stuff on my 100MBHD. What a royal pain. +--------------------------------+--------------------------------------------+ | Todd Sellers | EMail to (sellers@ncrcae.Columbia.NCR.COM) | | NCR E&M Columbia | or (todd@pibtest.Columbia.NCR.COM) | | West Columbia, South Carolina | <THIS SPACE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK> | | 29169 | <INSERT YOUR FAVORITE DISCLAIMER HERE> | +--------------------------------+--------------------------------------------+