jaz@icd.ab.com (Jack A. Zucker) (08/17/90)
I just wanted to relate a problem I am having with Frame Technologies so as to help others avoid extreme frustration. About 6 months ago, I bought a SUN Sparcstation 1. I also bought the Framemaker 2.0 package for Sunview. Frame is licensed to the hostid of the workstation. When I bought the package, I called Frame's tech support people, gave them my hostid, and they gave me back a password that would allow me to run their software. All this worked fine until I decided to sell my Sparcstation. I sold it last week and the person who bought it already used Interleaf and did not want to pay for Frame. I knocked off quite a bit of money from what I was asking, thinking that I would be able to sell Frame seperately. (Frame lists for $2500 on the Sparcstation). I called Frame to see how their licensing applies to this situation. To my horror, they indicated that I could not sell the package since I was not a "Frame Reseller". I couldn't believe it. The way they would enforce it would be to *not* give a valid password to whoever bought the package from me. This would be like the state not granting you a license tag for a car because you were not the original owner. In fact, I'm not sure if this is legal. I will be contacting the Better Business Bureau about this. I told Frame that I would be posting this story on Usenet about two weeks ago and they have not responded back to me on it. Apparently, I'm such an insignificant customer of theirs, that I'm not due anything other than what I've already received. Frame offered the advice that I could give the software away with my machine even though I was not getting paid for it or that I could bring it into work and run it on my machine there. (They would be willing to give me a new hostid license in that situation) Anyway, anyone thinking of buying Framemaker should give this some serious thought beforehand. If anyone wants to E-Mail or call me for further discussion, feel free to contact me at: E-Mail: jaz%icd.ab.com@uunet.uu.net Phone: (216) 646-4668 (work) (216) 349-5881 (Home)
jaz@icd.ab.com (Jack A. Zucker) (08/17/90)
Update to the Frame problem! I got a call today and was told that the person I talked to didn't understand their policy. Apparently, the policy is that only "Frame Reseller's" can sell for a profit. Since I am not trying to sell for more than I paid for it, I can get a new hostid license for the person I sell it to. Apparently the Frame rep I had been talking to had been on vacation and tied up in various meetings and was unable to get any more information to me until today ! The moral of the story is to never underestimate the power of "the net" ! -jaz
cortesi@infmx.UUCP (David Cortesi) (08/18/90)
In article <1718@abvax.UUCP> jaz@icd.ab.com (Jack A. Zucker) writes: > >I just wanted to relate a problem I am having with Frame Technologies so >as to help others avoid extreme frustration. You wanted to relate it, and relate it, and relate it to better vent your frustration. I resent having to stand in your wind. You have posted the identical message to comp.text.desktop, to comp.sys.next, and now here. You did it with individual posts, not a cross-post which would relieve a person of having to see it more than once. Where else are you going to post it? When are you going to stop cluttering the net with your vindictive picque?