jcmorris@mwunix.mitre.org (Joe Morris) (10/04/90)
Since I've seen periodic postings about "when will X be upgraded to support
Windows 3" it seems that I'm not the only user with apps which barf in the
new, improved Graphical Environment. A few dispatches from the front:
* Hewlett-Packard (Scan Gallery -- ScanJet support): promised in 4Q90 when I
called in May; now shipping version 5 with WIN3 support. $90 upgrade
fee. New version is reviewed in 1 October issue of PC Week. Sales
info at 1-800-752-0900; order desk 1-800-848-9283.
* SummaGraphics (drivers for SummaSketch tablet): last May they said "end
of 3Q90"; now say ship date late October. Apparently no charge for
registered users. 1-203-881-5400
* Promentory (WinMaster template for SummaGraphics, originally a freebie
included with the SummaSketch tablet): last May the "target" was August
90; now say "October". Will be an update; will cost unknown $. They
apparently will send out announcements. 1-801-224-8833
* SoftCraft (Font Solution Pack): No prior schedule, now says that a new
version will be out in 2-3 weeks. WYSIFONTS will include a new
LaserJet driver, apparently to replace the one shipped with Windows.
No price figures. 1-608-257-3300
* Whitewater (Resource Toolkit): May forecast was 3Q90; now say that they
will announce the new version 21 October. No data on price for the
upgrade. 1-708-328-3800.
* Z-Soft (Publishers Type Foundry): In May they said it would be released
in August; now they say December or January. No announcement will be
sent to registered users; rep I talked to stated explicitly that Z-Soft
policy is that notifying customers of a new version is too expensive
to consider. 1-404-428-0008
Joe Morrismarshall@wind55.seri.gov (Marshall L. Buhl) (10/09/90)
jcmorris@mwunix.mitre.org (Joe Morris) writes: > * Z-Soft (Publishers Type Foundry): In May they said it would be released > in August; now they say December or January. No announcement will be > sent to registered users; rep I talked to stated explicitly that Z-Soft > policy is that notifying customers of a new version is too expensive > to consider. 1-404-428-0008 Gee, I always thought this was the main reason for registering software. So we have to keep calling with our nickels until the package is available. That really encourages me to spend more money at Z-Soft. :-> -- Marshall L. Buhl, Jr. EMAIL: marshall@seri.gov Senior Computer Missionary VOICE: (303)231-1014 Wind Research Branch 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO 80401-3393 Solar Energy Research Institute Solar - safe energy for a healthy future
kxb@math.ksu.edu (Karl Buck) (10/09/90)
marshall@wind55.seri.gov (Marshall L. Buhl) writes: >jcmorris@mwunix.mitre.org (Joe Morris) writes: [....Rip-off story deleted....] >Gee, I always thought this was the main reason for registering software. I certainly know how he feels. I just wanted an inexpensive word processor to run under windows and found that my perfect choice was Ami (not Ami Proffessional). It can be purchased for about $120 and is the perfect package for a starving college student to use to write papers etc.. One problem though they want $50 to upgrade to the new win3.0 version, ($50 I do not have). While there are a few new features in Ami, I still feel like I've been let down by Samna. Guess I'll have to get by with Write (no spelling checker :-( ), until I become wealthy. -- 731 Moro popeye@matt.ksu.ksu.edu kxb@hilbert.math.ksu.edu Manhattan, KS 66502 popeye@ksuvm.ksu.edu kxb@einstein.mpccl.ksu.edu (913)537-3666 kxb@phobos.cis.ksu.edu
jaz@icd.ab.com (Jack A. Zucker) (10/09/90)
Well, you'll love this story. I bought Z-Soft's PC Paintbrush IV and Soft Type. I have a 800x600 setup with a Logitech Scanman Plus scanner and a Postscript printer. The fonts displayed on the screen on Pagemaker, (Not in Word for Windows) but did not print. Additionally, descenders were missing from many of the characters. Z-Soft's technical support people had never heard of this despite the exact same complaint by a review in PC Magazine ! They thought that maybe the upgrade would fix the problem but were not sure. How's that for a comfidence builder. The drivers supplied for my scanner did not work with Paintbrush IV Plus. Additionally they spelled the driver's file name wrong in the manual. The installation program did not install the scanner driver and the manual instructed you to put the Driver disk in A: and to: copy a:logitch.sys Well it turned out that the driver was actually called logitech.sys. Another confidence builder. Additionally, the Paintbrush program didn't support the Tseng 4000 chipset. (It did support the 3000 but that didn't do me any good). I was told that I could call their bulletin board and download the correct drivers for the scanner and the Tseng card (at my expense of course). An official update would not be until sometime 1st quarter of next year. I hope public pressure, boycotting, etc. will pressure these software companies to be more consumer oriented. -Jaz | Jack A Zucker {cwjcc,pyramid,decvax,uunet}!jaz@icd.ab.com | | Allen-Bradley Company, Inc. or ICCGCC::ZUCKER | | 747 Alpha Drive | Highland Hts., OH 44143 phone: (216) 646-4668 FAX: (216) 646-4484 |
djbpitt@unix.cis.pitt.edu (David J Birnbaum) (10/10/90)
In article <1903@abvax.UUCP> jaz@icd.ab.com (Jack A. Zucker) writes: >Well, you'll love this story. I bought Z-Soft's PC Paintbrush IV and >Soft Type ... (deleted: details of bad programming, bad technical support, and bad customer relations) I looked into ZSoft's Publisher's Type Foundry a couple of years ago. I work with languages that are not well supported by the big font designers and I wanted an outline-based system that would let me create new characters as needed and use them in applications. ZSoft has no 800 number, even for sales information. When I called during working hours several times I got only a recording; when I left my number and address and asked for information nobody returned my call and nobody mailed me anything. Okay, so they don't want to sell any software. I persevered and even- tually got to speak to a person. They tried to tell me that their program was exactly what I needed. A sadder but wiser net reader told me that ZSoft's outline format was completely proprietary and no other software could read it; all you could do with outlines was use them to create clumsy bitmapped fonts that would have to edited by hand. ZSoft never mentioned this. I now hear that ZSoft either supports or plans to support industry standard outline formats. Would I buy from them after my previous experiences? No way. After hearing about colleagues' experiences on the net? No way. --David ======================================================================= Professor David J. Birnbaum djbpitt@vms.cis.pitt.edu [Internet] The Royal York Apartments, #802 djbpitt@pittvms.bitnet [Bitnet] 3955 Bigelow Boulevard voice: 1-412-687-4653 Pittsburgh, PA 15123 USA fax: 1-412-624-9714
pnl@hpfinote.HP.COM (Peter Lim) (10/11/90)
> Well it turned out that the driver was actually called logitech.sys. Another > confidence builder. Additionally, the Paintbrush program didn't support the > Tseng 4000 chipset. (It did support the 3000 but that didn't do me any good). > Give them a break will ya ? For crying out loud, the Tseng 4000 chipset wasn't even released when PC PaintBrush IV was released. > I was told that I could call their bulletin board and download the correct > drivers for the scanner and the Tseng card (at my expense of course). An > official update would not be until sometime 1st quarter of next year. > Would be nice if they declare these drivers as public domain and allow people to post them on ftp sites etc. etc. > I hope public pressure, boycotting, etc. will pressure these software > companies to be more consumer oriented. > Some company does need some pressuring. Such as ATI ?? They still haven't release any 256 color Windows 3.0 driver. WHY ARE WE WAITING ?? Regards, ## Life is fast enough as it is ........ Peter Lim. ## .... DON'T PUSH IT !! >>>-------, ########################################### : E-mail: plim@hpsgwg.HP.COM Snail-mail: Hewlett Packard Singapore, : Tel: (065)-279-2289 (ICDS, ICS) | Telnet: 520-2289 1150 Depot Road, __\@/__ ... also at: pnl@hpfipnl.HP.COM Singapore 0410. SPLAT ! #include <standard_disclaimer.hpp>