rowland@hpavla.avo.hp.com (Fred Rowland) (01/31/91)
I'm mad. I recently installed MicroSoft's latest and greatest, consisting of Windows 3 and Word for Windows. I was new to any form of Word, so I had a few questions, particularly with font management (now there's a weird area for you!). So I grabbed my trusty MicroSoft Word for Windows User's Reference. The first thing I tried failed--I got no response when I typed the command. Well, shame on me for my lousy typing. So I tried again, VERY carefully. Failed again. Maybe a typo in the manual. I gave up on that one. Tried another totally different subject. This time the command, properly typed, produced an error message and hung the machine. Very reproducible. I now know a sure fire way to hang the machine from inside Word for Windows. Tried another. This had to do with printer setup and I suddenly realized that the terminology was for the old Windows (pre-3). Got mad and stayed that way. Called MS and asked if there was a manual for WfW on Windows 3. No. Asked how they had the gall to advertise the hell out of a product that was really a do-it-yourself-if-you-can-figure-out-how kit. Got mumbled at. Are there any books (obviously not from MS) about WfW on W3? Fred Rowland Hewlett-Packard, Avondale Site
dak@hparc0.HP.COM (Dave Kruger) (02/01/91)
G'day Fred, The troubles you have experienced are typical of any poor bastard who has attempted to grapple with Microsoft's atrocious documentation. Fair dinkum, I've never known a company so adept at producing such consistently bad documentation--W4W documentation is the most unusable yet. I too have experienced the problems you speak of. I too have had the system hang, or fail with "Unrecoverable Application Error" (UAE). What *really* browns me off is Microsoft's apparent lack of concern for their customers, and their defensive attitude to criticism. We subscribe (at great expense) to their Communique support service. I have contacted them twice about problems I have had with W4W and was treated with a great deal of disdain (not to say downright rudeness) by a character named Justin. Apparently, I'm the only person in the world who gets UAE--"No one else has complained to us", Justin said. "But this is a general problem with Windows 3", I said, "Surely, you must get many complaints from people with UAEs." His reply: "Look, we have sold seven million copies of Windows 3. Do you think we would not know of consistent UAE problems?" Needless to say, I received no help from *that* call. On the second occaision that I tried their support, I was faxed a "solution" that bore no resemblence to the reported problem. Next time I call, I will ask for the manager. As for the W4W User's Reference, you could probably use it as a door stop--the bloody thing is certainly not useful as a source of information. Shame, Microsoft, shame. Get your act together, or get out. I'm sick of you. There, I feel much better now. I will repeat the offer I have made in other postings: If anyone at Microsoft is listening, do you have any comment/defence? Regards, Dave Kruger ______________________________________________________________________________ Hewlett-Packard Australian Telecom Operation | HP-UX: dak@hpauto.hp.com 31 Joseph St, Blackburn, Victoria, 3130. | HPdesk: Dave Kruger / HP9601/RG Phone: +613 8952798, Fax: +613 8989257 | ACSnet: dak@hpauto.oz All comments are *my* opinions, not my employer's.