[net.micro] JRT pascal complaints

Little.Fleas%hi-multics@sri-unix.UUCP (07/25/83)

From:      Gary Little <Little.Fleas@hi-multics>

{Ref. transaction 003}


To borrow a phrase from a certain Chinese scholar: "The sweetness of a
cheap price is offset by the bitterness of poor quality".  In essence,
you get what you pay for.  I have seen a few reveiws that do not applaud
JRT, but they do at least say you could do worse, and practically every
magazine that I have seen during the last 9 months has letters
complaining about JRT's tardiness in delivery.  In JRT's defence, they are
probably swamped with orders; however, before depositing the $29.95 ($39.95??)
it would be gentlemanly of them to send a warning of delay (and to publish
said delay in their advertisements).

As to the question: "Is any software worth this delay?"  Well, if it does the
job of the $400 to $40,000 packages, then I would say it probably was (which
makes you wonder about the worth of the high priced spread).  If it only does
a $40 job, then I would say it was still worth it -- after all, it does meet
the specification of $39.95 (+ .05).  But to wonder if it is "worth it" because
one does not haves his new toy to play with in his hot little hands, is a
little sanctimonious [Poor choice of words??  Any way it sounds nice.].
Especially if said complainer has been involved with the delivery of software
systems him/her/it/self.  Maybe the situation is improving (although I doubt
it), but a very large percentage of deliverable software costing in excess of
$1,000 and more get slipped from 1 to 6 to more months before WE deliver the
product.

Is the $40 JRT compiler worth the delay?  I don't know.  Is our super spiffy
light speed F-98 simulation trainer (or STS Columbia flight control system)
worth the 13 month delay?  I certainly hope so.

                                        Gary

andrew@orca.UUCP (Andrew Klossner) (07/27/83)

Gary Little draws a parallel between JRT Pascal slipping on deliveries
of their $40 compiler and big companies (such as defense contractors)
slipping several months on their deliverables.

Defense contractors get paid *after* they produce.  (Just try getting
the federal government to pay in advance on an order!  I have, and they
don't.)  JRT requires payment in advance, cashes the check, then sits
on the money for several months.  This is in violation of laws designed
explicitly to protect the mail order buyer.  If a merchant does not
ship your product within thirty days of accepting your payment (i.e.,
cashing your check or debiting your credit card), you can and should
contact the postmaster at the merchant's post office and complain that
you are the victim of mail fraud.  An investigation will ensue.  (Write
to Postmaster / City, State ZIPCODE)

My wife and I sell mail order software "on the side", and we've been
known to delay many weeks between receipt of an order and its shipment,
usually because the software is being upgraded or we're out of material
such as three-ring binders.  However, we make a practice of cashing the
check AFTER the product is shipped.

  -- Andrew Klossner   (decvax!teklabs!tekecs!andrew)  [UUCP]
                       (andrew.tektronix@rand-relay)   [ARPA]

CSvax:Pucc-H:acu@pur-ee.UUCP (07/31/83)

	In the latest (August 8th) InfoWorld, there is an ad for
	(wonder of wonders) JRT Pascal 4.0!

	The two striking differences between this and v3 are (according
	to the ad) that the new release compiles "twice as fast" as the
	old one, and they will ship your version 4.0 within 48 hours of
	receiving your check (imagine that!).

	It wasn't surprising to find that JRT is no longer distributing
	the package themselves (a firm named BlueEarth is doing it
	(anybody heard of them?)), and the price is now $100 (the
	manual without compiler is $40!)....

	The ad made no mention of update availablity for those of us
	who waited (and waited) for v3.

			Mark Shoemaker
			...!pur-ee!pucc-h.acu

kurt@fluke.UUCP (Kurt Guntheroth) (08/05/83)

I have heard this reason JRT was selling a $29.95 compiler:  They were said
to be developing a better compiler and wanted to obtain a large user
base so they could sell them all this new compiler at an increased price.

Now here is the new compiler and here is the huge user base.  Unfortunately
all of these users had to wait months for the compiler.  Would you pay $100
for a compiler from such a company?  Maybe.