bert@helix.nih.gov (Bert Tyler) (02/20/91)
> I called PP last week to ask about the fix list. The guy that took the call > first denied that a new ROM version was around the corner. I conered him on > it, and he reversed himself. He would not tell me what is changed in the > upgrade, and made me ask him about specific problems. I worked for a terminal manufacturer for five years, and I can tell you from experience that the tech rep from PP was probably only doing his job, and was doing exactly what he was supposed to do. Practical Peripherals apparantly gives out its ROM upgrades for free, as does the company I used to work for. "Free" upgrades may be free to the guy who receives them, but they are quite costly for the company that is giving them out. We estimated our total cost for a free PROM upgrade (including the time it took to burn the PROMS, package them, and mail them out) of roughly $20 a pop. The rule at the company I worked for was that we would cheerfully send out free upgrades to anyone who called with a problem fixable with new PROMS, but we would *never* describe the difference between PROM versions to anyone - particularly to anyone who was obviously on a fishing expedition. This was after years of experience dealing with people who had no problems at all with their terminals, but would call to find out what the latest PROM levels were, and then demand to have their terminals upgraded (for free) because the new PROMS sounded like they might be useful. Check out some of the messages that float around the various conferences here and on the BBS networks, note the frequency of the messages that go something like "There's a new PROM version out - call the vendor and tell them you have the divariable bifurcator problem (whether or not you have it) and they'll send you a new set of PROMs" and picture the amount of money that costs the vendor (not every vendor - only the *good* vendor who gives away free PROM upgrades). It's not just PROMs, either - I've seen similar messages in the Windows conferences about obtaining the Windows 3.00a upgrades by claiming you have problems with Windows on your networks. Bert Tyler bert@helix.nih.gov
james@netcom.COM (James Paul) (02/22/91)
In article <992@nih-csl.nih.gov> bert@helix.nih.gov (Bert Tyler) writes: >> I called PP last week to ask about the fix list. The guy that took the call >> first denied that a new ROM version was around the corner. I conered him on >> it, and he reversed himself. He would not tell me what is changed in the >> upgrade, and made me ask him about specific problems. > >I worked for a terminal manufacturer for five years, and I can tell you >from experience that the tech rep from PP was probably only doing his job, >and was doing exactly what he was supposed to do. > >Practical Peripherals apparantly gives out its ROM upgrades for free, >as does the company I used to work for. "Free" upgrades may be free to >the guy who receives them, but they are quite costly for the company >that is giving them out. We estimated our total cost for a free PROM >upgrade (including the time it took to burn the PROMS, package them, >and mail them out) of roughly $20 a pop. > >The rule at the company I worked for was that we would cheerfully send >out free upgrades to anyone who called with a problem fixable with new >PROMS, but we would *never* describe the difference between PROM versions >to anyone - particularly to anyone who was obviously on a fishing expedition. >This was after years of experience dealing with people who had no problems at >all with their terminals, but would call to find out what the latest PROM >levels were, and then demand to have their terminals upgraded (for free) >because the new PROMS sounded like they might be useful. > >Check out some of the messages that float around the various conferences >here and on the BBS networks, note the frequency of the messages that go >something like "There's a new PROM version out - call the vendor and tell >them you have the divariable bifurcator problem (whether or not you have >it) and they'll send you a new set of PROMs" and picture the amount of >money that costs the vendor (not every vendor - only the *good* vendor >who gives away free PROM upgrades). It's not just PROMs, either - I've >seen similar messages in the Windows conferences about obtaining the >Windows 3.00a upgrades by claiming you have problems with Windows on >your networks. > >Bert Tyler >bert@helix.nih.gov I'm aware how expensive free upgrades can be for the manufacturer. In my conversation with PP, I never asked about the price of the upgrade, and certainly never demanded it to be free. I made it clear that I had problems with the modem, that I heard an upgrade was in the works, and wanted to know if the upgrade affected any problems I was experiencing. He was not accomodating me as a customer, tried to lie to me, and had (IMO) a careless attitude. This may not be representative of PP in general, but has been fairly consistent in my case so far. BTW, it's cheaper for them to talk honestly with me about the upgrade than it will be when I return the modem to them for replacement. -- James L. Paul UUCP: james@netcom.COM | AppleLink: D1231 | America Online: JLPaul Packet: N6SIW@N6EEG.CA.USA.NA | GEnie: J.PAUL | CompuServe: 72767,3436 Voice: 415 377 1981 w/machine | Delphi: JLPaul | Work FAX: n/a Disclaimer? I won't take credit for any such thing!
eggbert@bucsf.bu.edu (Eugene Wang) (02/22/91)
>> I called PP last week to ask about the fix list. The guy that took the call >> first denied that a new ROM version was around the corner. I conered him on >> it, and he reversed himself. He would not tell me what is changed in the >> upgrade, and made me ask him about specific problems. > I worked for a terminal manufacturer for five years, and I can tell you > from experience that the tech rep from PP was probably only doing his job, > and was doing exactly what he was supposed to do. > Practical Peripherals apparantly gives out its ROM upgrades for free, > as does the company I used to work for. "Free" upgrades may be free to > the guy who receives them, but they are quite costly for the company > that is giving them out. We estimated our total cost for a free PROM > upgrade (including the time it took to burn the PROMS, package them, > and mail them out) of roughly $20 a pop. I think that it was probably just the tech person. When I called, I simply told them that I wanted a new ROM, nothing more, nothing less, and I didn't mention any problems that I was having. The person I talked to was more than willing to send me a new ROM. I even offered offered to send back the old EPROMs and I was told that it didn't matter and these are 512K EPROMs. The tech person on their BBS also freely mention new ROM versions. -- Eugene Wang eggbert@bucsf.bu.edu