[comp.binaries.ibm.pc] ZCOMM is very buggy

iverson@cory.Berkeley.EDU (Tim Iverson) (04/21/88)

After reading the docs on ZCOMM, I thought that it looked liked a very
promising program - not so.  Most of the time it doesn't even run (immediate
hang on startup).  The times it does run, it hangs as soon as I try to
connect (hang=time to *cold* boot).  Has anyone got this to run on your TRUE
BLUE AT?  It sure doesn't work on mine.  For those of you who are wondering,
yes my COM ports are configured correctly, and there were no TSR's or other
resident handlers installed.

Now, about the "documentation": whoever wrote this seems to have a very
large chip on his shoulder - the tone is defensive in the extreme and the
poor organization just about renders the entire 150k manual useless.  The
first four chapters are spent bragging about what a great product this is
and why you should register it.  The rest is basically a scattershot
description of minute details of various commands.  Why I would spend $40
for a typeset copy of this tripe I can't fathom.

Enough zcomm bashing (what should I expect from shareware, right :-).
However, judging from the other programs Chuck has posted, I was considerably
surprised at the lack of functionality of the program.  Since Chuck didn't
post it himself, I'm wondering if this isn't a pre-release or if some other
mistake has been made.  If not, well, it has just about assured that I will
never buy any product from Omen Technology.


- Tim Iverson
  iverson@cory.Berkeley.EDU
  ucbvax!cory!iverson

tim@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu (Timothy L. Kay) (04/22/88)

Tim Iverson writes:

>After reading the docs on ZCOMM, I thought that it looked liked a very
>promising program - not so.  Most of the time it doesn't even run (immediate
>hang on startup).  The times it does run, it hangs as soon as I try to
>connect (hang=time to *cold* boot).  Has anyone got this to run on your TRUE
>BLUE AT?  It sure doesn't work on mine.  For those of you who are wondering,
>yes my COM ports are configured correctly, and there were no TSR's or other
>resident handlers installed.

I am surprised to  hear this.  I  pulled ZCOMM off  SIMTEL20 about two
weeks ago.  I managed to get it working with  absolutely no trouble on
a  true  blue IBM XT  with a PCSG Breakthru/286  card.  I then got  it
running on my AT  10Mhz/0 clone.  Not  only has it  been *no* trouble,
but it even suggested that I change the way my modem is configured.  I
have never had  a  terminal package that  was able to suggest that  my
modem was misconfigured.

After  using Kermit all  these years,  it is  a   delite to use zmodem
protocols to do the transfers.  It is fast and *very* reliable.

I immediately  sent my $50   ($40 for  registration + $10  for a  nice
binder) because I see this program as solving many of my problems.

It is possible that you can't get it  to work because your 8250 serial
port chip is defective?  It has happened before.

>Now, about the "documentation": whoever wrote this seems to have a very
>large chip on his shoulder - the tone is defensive in the extreme and the
>poor organization just about renders the entire 150k manual useless.  The
>first four chapters are spent bragging about what a great product this is
>and why you should register it.  The rest is basically a scattershot
>description of minute details of various commands.  Why I would spend $40
>for a typeset copy of this tripe I can't fathom.

While the  manual  does  lack  in organization,  I  don't get the same
impression  about the defensive tone.  And  you aren't paying  $40 for
the  nice, typeset manual;  you are paying  $40 for registration.  The
nice, typeset manual comes as a bonus.

> [...]

It  is too  bad  that you had   bad experiences.  I  find  the package
delightful.  I plan to continue using it to the exclusion of all other
terminal packages.

I should  mention that I   have absolutely  no  affiliation with  Omen
Technology other than that of a satisfied customer.

Tim

davidsen@steinmetz.ge.com (William E. Davidsen Jr) (04/22/88)

In article <2598@pasteur.Berkeley.Edu> iverson@cory.Berkeley.EDU.UUCP (Tim Iverson) writes:
| 
| After reading the docs on ZCOMM, I thought that it looked liked a very
| promising program - not so.  Most of the time it doesn't even run (immediate
| hang on startup).  The times it does run, it hangs as soon as I try to
| connect (hang=time to *cold* boot).  Has anyone got this to run on your TRUE
| BLUE AT?  It sure doesn't work on mine.  For those of you who are wondering,

  Works on an XT and AT, at least three brands of clones, a 386 clone,
and seems to work on a PS/2 (at least it the user hasn't complained).

| [...]
| Now, about the "documentation": whoever wrote this seems to have a very
| large chip on his shoulder - the tone is defensive in the extreme and the
| poor organization just about renders the entire 150k manual useless.  The

  The organization is very bad, I agree, but the data is there, and in
painstaking detail. The program is so complex I doubt that you are ever
going to get all the detail into one of those six page flyers that pass
for documentation these days.

| [...]
| Enough zcomm bashing (what should I expect from shareware, right :-).
| However, judging from the other programs Chuck has posted, I was considerably
| surprised at the lack of functionality of the program.  Since Chuck didn't
| post it himself, I'm wondering if this isn't a pre-release or if some other
| mistake has been made.  If not, well, it has just about assured that I will
| never buy any product from Omen Technology.

  I doubt that Chuck will care, as long as you don't use it without
paying for it. I admit that I decided zcomm was too much trouble for
what I wanted, but I would consider using it if I needed to present a
friendly menu to a user who objected to typing in baud rates, etc, and
phone numbers, and login sequences... ie. the person who uses a computer
because s/he must, and gets no joy from it.

  I get the impression that this is another "I can't make it work so the
software is bad" postings, but perhaps you got a bad copy or something.
I feel that zcomm is a fine product for a technical person to configure,
and a lazy person (aren't we all) to use. It saves a lot of time and
seems reliable on all of the machines on which I tried it. I didn't continue to use it for personal preference, not because of technical problems.
-- 
	bill davidsen		(wedu@ge-crd.arpa)
  {uunet | philabs | seismo}!steinmetz!crdos1!davidsen
"Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward" -me

pjh@mccc.UUCP (Peter J. Holsberg) (04/23/88)

In article <2598@pasteur.Berkeley.Edu> iverson@cory.Berkeley.EDU.UUCP (Tim Iverson) writes:
== 
== After reading the docs on ZCOMM, I thought that it looked liked a very
== promising program - not so.  

You haven't given it a chance.  Chuck's software is "UNIX-oriented". 
I.e., the user must already be an expert to use it.  However, it is
really a suberb program.  It's not "user-friendly" like ProComm, etc.

== Now, about the "documentation": whoever wrote this seems to have a very
== large chip on his shoulder - the tone is defensive in the extreme and the
== poor organization just about renders the entire 150k manual useless.  The
== first four chapters are spent bragging about what a great product this is
== and why you should register it.  The rest is basically a scattershot
== description of minute details of various commands.  Why I would spend $40
== for a typeset copy of this tripe I can't fathom.
== 

Again, it's UNIX-like documentation.  I purchased ZCOMM's big brother,
YAM, and have barely learned how to use it.  It does what I want but I'm
sure that I don;t use more than 1-2% of its capabilities.  No question,
it needs a detailed tutorial.


== ... I will never buy any product from Omen Technology.

Well, that'll mean that you will be missing something pretty fine.  As I
said, Chuck's stuff tends to be for experts, so perhaps the rest of the
world should indeed avoid it.

root@mjbtn.UUCP (Mark J. Bailey) (04/23/88)

My understanding of ZCOMM and its status is that it is a share-ware cousin
to ProYamm (a commercial package).  I have had ZCOMM (although I haven't  
yet checked the version of this one against my current copy) for some time
now.  I got my first copy from CompuServe's Unix Forum.  I have pretty much
liked it.  I MUST say that it is a MONSTER in that you have to set everything
up yourself, unlike PROCOMM which takes you by the hand.  It is a lot like
UNIX (concept-wise).  Its "uncoothness" may just be its saving grace.  I used
the original PHODIR.T until I downloaded one from GENIE that someone else
had setup.  When I plugged it in, WOW, it was like I had a new program.  

It is not a pre-release.  This is the intended package.  I haven't really 
dug into it for lack of time.  I like its protocol mechanisms.  I find that
they out-perform any other program I use.  There again though, it IS shareware,
and you must say, that Chuck put a lot of effort into it, readily functional
or not, and he should get credit for that if nothing else.  I does what I
want it to and I am happy.

Mark.

-- 
       Mark J. Bailey  _____________________________________________________
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