Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!mcsun!unido!uklirb!gerten
From: gerten@uklirb.informatik.uni-kl.de (Rainer Gerten)
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2
Subject: Re: Why Isn't Microsoft Replying ????
Summary: Don't woory, that's typical !
Message-ID: <3309@uklirb.informatik.uni-kl.de>
Date: 26 Mar 90 16:08:13 GMT
References: <771@nixsin.UUCP>
Reply-To: gerten@uklirb.UUCP (Rainer Gerten)
Organization: University of Kaiserslautern, W-Germany
Lines: 80

In article <771@nixsin.UUCP> lima@nixsin.UUCP (Arthur Lim) writes:
>Hello everyone in the Netland,
>
>I have this frustrating experience in dealing with MS that I have to air
>hoping that I can get some answers.
>
>I bought the MS OS/2 SDK from MS directly last year (1989) and got the SDK
>version 1.06.  Although it was promised in the package that I would get
>continuous update till the final release, I received no news about the 
>release of the SDK 1.1 from MS even though "the world" is already using and
>discussing about SDK 1.1. After several faxes (refaxes) and phone calls, I
>finally got hold of the information I needed to order the update from the 
>International Customer Service.
>
>A couple of months later, this net is filled with discussions about the 1.2.
>Even the release (?) of 2.0 for developers was heard. Again I wrote a fax to
>the International Customer Service requesting for update information. And
>months later, I have still to get a reply from MS.
>
>This experiences has set me wondering. What is happening at MS International
>Customer Service ? Why are they not replying ? Has anyone similar experience
>to tell me what's going on ?
>
>Could anyone kindly fill me in with the details/information on how I can get
>hold of the OS/2 1.2 (and subsequently 2.0) without these hassles ?
>
>Thanks to anyone who could enlighten me.
>

Here's another OS/2-story:

We bought in August 1987 MS OS/2 SDK Ver. 1.0 with DIAL-Support and so on
for DM 8000,- !. This covered regular updates until the final release
of Ver. 1.1 PM.
This happend:
Ver. 1.0 was't able to install on PS/2 (this was us told when we had
payed the kit). Half a year later we got SDK 1.0 Ver. 1.01 and we
installed it (with a lot of pain !), but it had a lot of problems. Some
months ago we got SDK Ver. 1.02, but the bugs were so many, that we
didn't use it. Then nothing happend for a while, after that we got Ver. 1.03
and 1.04 (at the same time). There was a part of LAN-Man. and an upgrade
for 1.02 with PM. 
A year later we were asked, if we wanted to continue the mail-support.
I told to MS, that:
- the MS DIAL-support was awful, because the communication-connections
  (over Datex-P) seldom worked.
- the answers on DIAL TAR's constisted only of promises, no solutions
- we were waiting for the final OS/2 update and never got it.
  (The original OS/2 1.1 was then sold by IBM to regular users!).
- We stopped any OS/2-Development because of the significantly bad support.

A technical engineer called me and we talked a while about the problems
and he promised me, that we should get the update. One week later we got
two updates, SDK Ver. 1.05 and 1.06, neither completly working. I phoned again,
they told me to wait for SDK Ver. 1.07. 

              I am still waiting!!!

Thats a story of OS/2-support over here in old germany. Some
questions, wy some people are angry ?

Until we get better support (for that lot of money) we 'll wait with OS/2-
development. This means not, that we dislike OS/2, but we can't
throw money away.

We have similar problems with MS-Windows (286 and 386) Ver. 2.11 with
the support from MS. (Bought updates for Windows and had problems,
only answer: some useless hints and no real solution or correction;
wait for Windows 3.0).

QUESTION to MS: Are you really shure, that you want to compete with
UNIX, if this way of support stays on?  

Resumee: I personally would prefer OS/2, but until I have no final OS/2 1.1
I will continue using DOS (partially Windows) for applications and
UNIX for development. This includes no OS/2 course over here too.

Rainer Gerten
University of Kaiserslautern
mail: gerten@uklirb.informatik.uni-kl.de