myxm@beta.UUCP (Mike Mitchell) (09/17/87)
Step right up and Come on in. Today we have the fat lady with three chins, an eight hundred pound rabbit, a man who eats nails and craps tacks, and the $500 Unix. Yes, I know it is unbelievable, but just pay your money to the man up front, and step inside for a look. Hurry Hurry Hurry. On Monday of this week, I had a phone conversation with one of the technical support at MicroBlunder about one of my distribution floppies. As it turns out, the floppy was blank and the gentleman at MicroBlunder told me he would ship me a floppy (yes, yours today for the low, low, low price of only $12.00). I have to admit, the floppy did arrive on the fastest slow boat from China. They were pretty good about taking the ten minutes to fill out a charge to my VISA card and getting another floppy in the Federal Express wagon. I must hand it to them, they sure know how to send those floppys. Turns out that this one the gentleman sent me was a copy of ONE I ALREADY HAD! "Allo?" "TECHNICAL SUPPORT!" "Yes?" "YOU TECHNICAL SUPPORT?!" "Yes." "I TALKED TO TECHNICAL SUPPORT ON MONDAY AND HE SOUNDED DIFFERENT. ARE YOU SURE YOU ARE TECHNICAL SUPPORT?!" "Yes, we assume different roles depending on the demand." "WELL, I HAVE A DEMAND!" "What can we do for you?" "SEND ME ANOTHER FLOPPY." "THE GUY I TALKED TO TOLD ME HE WOULD FEDERAL EXPRESS ONE TO ME FOR THE MERE PITTANCE OF $12.00. WELL HE DID, NO COMPLAINTS THERE. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE ONE HE SENT ME IS A COPY OF ONE I ALREADY HAD." "Why did he send you one in the first place?" "BECAUSE IT WAS *UCKING BLANK" "Oh." "DO YOU WANT TO CHARGE ME $12.00 AND SEND ME A FLOPPY TOO?" "Which floppy was it?" "GOT A PEN?" "Yes." "RUNTIME (THIS READS: !!NOT OPTIONAL!!) DOT (LIKE A PERIOD) TWO (LIKE ONE AND THEN TWO)." "Ok." "VERSION ONE (LIKE ONLY ONE) DOT (PERIOD OR POINT, TAKE YOUR PICK) THREE (ONE THEN TWO THEN THREE)." "Ok." "SO HOW MUCH? ARE YOU GOING TO CHARGE ME AGAIN? HUH, OH, PLEASE?" "I will look into it for you." "THANK YOU." "We'll get this out Federal Express tonight." "OH YEAH, SO I'LL GET IT ON FRIDAY. MEAN WHILE I'LL JUST SIT HERE AND PLAY WITH IT." "Something like that." "FINE." "Good bye." "CLICK!" Are these guys for real? Meanwhile back at home camp. "Hello." "The Infamous Mike Mitchell please." "Depends on what he is infamous for. This is Mike." "Hi, this is SCO." "Oh, like Unix.?" "Yep." "I saw your last message on the news about the problems you have been having with MicroBlunder." "Really, that's TOO funny." "I have an idea for you..." What's this? A commercial micro unix producer that actually ties into the net? Wow. Maybe there is someone out there that listens... We can hope. Mike Mitchell myxm@lanl.gov ...!cmcl2!lanl!myxm
shocking@nswitgould.OZ (Stephen Hocking cc) (09/21/87)
in article <10154@beta.UUCP>, myxm@beta.UUCP (Mike Mitchell) says: > On Monday of this week, I had a phone conversation with one of the technical > support at MicroBlunder about one of my distribution floppies. As it turns > out, the floppy was blank and the gentleman at MicroBlunder told me he would > ship me a floppy (yes, yours today for the low, low, low price of only $12.00). [Stuff in here detailing an incredible story of tears & frustration] > "Hello." "The Infamous Mike Mitchell please." "Depends on what he is infamous > for. This is Mike." "Hi, this is SCO." "Oh, like Unix.?" "Yep." "I saw > your last message on the news about the problems you have been having with > MicroBlunder." "Really, that's TOO funny." "I have an idea for you..." > > What's this? A commercial micro unix producer that actually ties into the > net? Wow. Maybe there is someone out there that listens... We can hope. Funny this. Over here in Oz, the microport support that I've experienced has been excellent. On the two occasions that I've had strife & woe (largely owing to a last minute change in my order) I've rung up in the morning and a floppy has been zapped out by lunch for free. This was before I bought the Tech support contract. Funnily enough, I haven't rung them half so much since then. In contrast, when I was involved in a contract using Santa Claus Xenix (as it is affectionately known over here) the tech support was the pits. They've gotten some new distributors since then, so things may've changed. Mind you SCO's product has less of a tendency to crash at unexpected times. Now if only I saw "panic: Software detects double fault" about once a month instead of once or twice a day I'd be as happy as a pig in garbage. Stephen -- "Lay orf Arfur, 'e doesnt know wot 'es saying" UUCP.net: {ukc,uunet}!munnari!nswitgould.oz!shocking ACS.net: shocking@nswitgould.oz
jack@turnkey.UUCP (jack) (09/27/87)
In article <10154@beta.UUCP>, myxm@beta.UUCP (Mike Mitchell) writes: [ hysterical account of the dealings with "MicroBlunder" deleted...] Really, Mike, that was a classic, have you considered Hollywood :-} ? > Are these guys for real? One thing for sure, apparantly their Quality Control dept. isn't :-} ! > What's this? A commercial micro unix producer that actually ties into the > net? Wow. Maybe there is someone out there that listens... We can hope. I think the lesson to be gained from this, as cliche as it sounds, is that you get what you pay for. This does not mean Microport is always the wrong way to go (after all, we can always use an extra blank disk or 2 , and why would a multiuser system need its serial ports to work anyway :-}), but for someone not forced into that route due to budget I think one really gets more for their money with SCO. Sure its a lot more to shell out, and sure certain types are likely to make snide remarks about it not being true SysV, but what the hell at least its a solid product. I would rather have a hybrid that works than a "true port" that doesn't. Can you imagine telling a client that the "fix" to a bug in a command is not to use the command!! Disclaimer: The opinions expressed herein are mine and my company's, although I am sure SCO doesn't mind them either :-}. -- Jack F. Vogel Turnkey Computer Consultants, Costa Mesa, CA UUCP: ...!uunet!ccicpg!turnkey!jack Internet: jack@turnkey.CTS.COM
windley@iris.ucdavis.edu (Phil Windley) (09/29/87)
In article <139@turnkey.UUCP> jack@turnkey.UUCP (jack) writes: > Can you imagine telling a client >that the "fix" to a bug in a command is not to use the command!! > I had Aston-Tate tell that to me on two seperate occasions about two different commands in dBASE III (not Plus). One time the guy said "Oh *that* command, we never use that command, its buggy as hell." Phil Windley Robotics Research Lab University of California, Davis
mdg@suprt.UUCP (10/04/87)
In article <10154@beta.UUCP>, myxm@beta.UUCP (Mike Mitchell) writes: > "Hello." "The Infamous Mike Mitchell please." "Depends on what he is infamous > for. This is Mike." "Hi, this is SCO." "Oh, like Unix.?" "Yep." "I saw > your last message on the news about the problems you have been having with > MicroBlunder." "Really, that's TOO funny." "I have an idea for you..." > > What's this? A commercial micro unix producer that actually ties into the > net? Wow. Maybe there is someone out there that listens... We can hope. > > Mike Mitchell > myxm@lanl.gov > ...!cmcl2!lanl!myxm We (Microport) are listening also, Mike. If you have any further problems, send me E-mail and I'll see what I can do. Please understand that I do *not* handle customer problems as part of my job. I take a personal interest in the satisfaction of Microport's customers and I'll do what I can. -- Marc de Groot @ Microport Systems, Inc. UUCP: {hplabs, sun, ucbvax}!amdcad!uport!mdg FONE: 408 438 8649 Ext. 31 DISCLAIMER: "..full of sound and fury, not necessarily agreeing with anyone.."