Support matters (no shit!)

[Burt Janz]

Fer crying out loud, folks!.... 

Is there NOTHING about Microport UNIX you like?  If not, forget about the
product, stay with XENIX, and get out of this group.  It's time for constructive
commentary, helps, kinks, and workarounds here in comp.unix.microport.
Personally, I'd like to see this group move in a positive direction.  The
UPORT vs BT wars seem to be over (thank guru!), and now we are seeing a spate
of "my beta is better than your beta".  More on this later...

But first, I have to stick my foot in the door...

John Plocher has done an admirable job of trying to address the concerns of
those who have posted questions about the state of both SV/AT and V/386.  He
is still relatively new at the job, and hasn't become too jaded yet :-)
However, with SCREAMING!!!!! of the kind that I've recently read, it's no
surprise if he loses his temper.  I have had cause to speak with John
(and, unlike others, I call back if he's in a meeting - the 800 number is
free, after all), and have found him willing to bend backwards to try to help
me with some of my wierd requests.  Meanwhile, there are things he is NOT in
a position to do.  He is not, after all, the CEO.

In my opinion (if, after the previous paragraph my opinion is still worthy),
anyone who is told that the software they are contemplating purchasing is a
"beta" and STILL agrees to purchase it, must NOT expect that product to work
fully up to snuff.  I had SV/AT 1.36 which was buggy as all get out.  I got the
first DosMerge at 2.1 (I think?) and it had the 1.36 kernel (I'm sure!).  I was
told that it was a beta release when I asked the salesman on the phone... you
see, I ask about these things.  I NEVER believe any ads.  Including Microport's.

DosMerge Pre-release Beta was a disappointment, but I didn't RAISE THE ROOF
because I knew it was beta... and I still agreed to purchase it.  It was slow,
buggy, crashed often, had problems running many DOS tasks and wouldn't run
others, and didn't understand my mouse.  But, I didn't bitch back about
"selling product unsuitable for market".  It was, after all, beta.

(Please note the use of the word "beta".  See how often it appears?)

I am currently running on the S/386 V3.0 (or is it 2.2 Pre-release, John?)
beta.  It is buggy, has problems, is a little slow, the serial ports are
still screwed up, the tape driver still hangs occasionally... I could go on.

I won't.  It's a beta, and you have to expect these things.  I am hoping that
many of the problems I and others have found will be fixed in the full release.
I don't EXPECT this.  Anyone who develops software for a living knows that
bugs may come in AFTER the full release of the product, and you can't deliver
custom kernels for every joe shmo who calls in and complains.  Unless, of
course, they're willing to pay premium prices for support (manpower ain't
cheap!)

In general, Microport UNIX has improved greatly since I first started with
it.  Even the beta S/386 improves over the previous release.  I don't have
the two drive problem, and never have.  I did have problems installing a
second drive, but that was MY fault.  I didn't read the directions!  I
called in, and was told how to do it properly, and it worked.  (Oh, yes..
I called the support line and was connected in a short time to a techie..)

(Private for John Plocher - Couldja put some music on hold?  Classical
would be nice... or maybe jazz...)

---
small flame goes on now...
---

I don't have DosMerge for the 386.  I have a 286 running PC-DOS instead...
And I don't have any problems running my DOS applications.

Be nice.  I did this on purpose... I want my UNIX processor doing UNIX
things, and my DOS processor doing DOS things.  Context switching is
very expensive, and running a DOS application under UNIX doesn't make
sense, when people like WordPerfect are porting to UNIX anyway! (OS/2 is
a marketing failure, and IBM knows it.. and so does Microsoft.  Anyone
notice that MS WORD is being ported to UNIX?  Echoes of things to come?...)

For those who use DosMerge:

By the way, how did you intend to handle your multiple users on their serial
ports?  Are they going to be able to run graphics programs on VT-100
terminals?  I didn't know they could speak CGA/EGA/MGA/HGA commands! 

---
small flame extinguishes itself due to lack of fuel :-)
---

Summary:

If you want to use XENIX, subscribe to comp.unix.xenix.
If you want to use Microport, subscribe to comp.unix.microport.
If Microport bugs bother you, get a source licence and fix them yourself.
If you want perfect unix, write the kernel and utilities yourself.
If you feel that XENIX/Microport was a mistake, go ahead and kick yourself,
but don't do it here!
If you feel all the world's a VAX, go buy one.  You won't have to worry about
either XENIX or Microport then... ULTRIX is worse than either (I work with it
daily... internally at DEC!)

Please stop comparing XENIX and Microport.  Be happy with one or the other.

Live in peace.  

Burt Janz
..decvax!bhjat!bhj