hanscom%lll-es-s05@adm.UUCP (02/03/87)
* * I've seen some comments on the net about Intersecting Concepts ( creators of Media Master and ZP/EM ). Would-be emulators should approach their products with caution. A colleague of mine purchased their package to copy some WS stuff from 5-1/4 CP/M diskettes of unknown origin. When he had troubles, he brought them to me. After trying full-track reads on his diskettes with my S-100 system (unsuccessfully), I surmised that they fell into Intersecting Concept's category of diskettes written with "incompatible controller hardware" and thus un-readable with their product. In the meantime, I tried out three other diskette formats of known origin with Media Master and ZP/EM in an attempt to determine what the problem was. The program would not read my Osborne or Wang OIS 60 formats, and although the directory of a Columbia 964 disk came up (with incorrect file sizes) and Media Master copied some very vanilla utilities such as PIP, ASM, etc., the resulting files would not work with the ZP/EM emulator. Perhaps I hit upon some of their least-used formats, I don't know. I can say, however, that when I called them for help, they treated me with sarcasm and disdain. I can only assume that folks who react that way must be besieged daily by angry and disappointed customers. They finally agreed to send another copy of the distribution diskette, but it produced the same results. This whole incident left me with a VERY bad impression of the company, and my friend with a copy of a $60. program that is worthless to him. BE SURE that you know it will work BEFORE you buy it from them. You probably won't find this vendor very helpful with problems. * * Roger Hanscom * *