Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!uxa.cso.uiuc.edu!mms00786
From: mms00786@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Windows-the interface that may neve
Message-ID: <46500098@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu>
Date: 6 Jun 90 20:12:00 GMT
References: <183206@<1990Jun4>
Lines: 23
Nf-ID: #R:<1990Jun4:183206:uxa.cso.uiuc.edu:46500098:000:1168
Nf-From: uxa.cso.uiuc.edu!mms00786    Jun  6 15:12:00 1990


What I find, as a registered owner of the $395 Windows SDK and $280 Microsoft
C 5.1 is that this investment is like upfront money - you probably can't do
much with it except may be print hello world in your choice of font and size.
What you need is $800/year + LD telephone charges to subscribe to Online. 
Two months after I bought this setup, I was told that the rules have changed
and the only way to get the answers to any questions is through Online.
**Not even a written request for help will be answered** I was told that this
is because "support is a seperate, paid for, service" offered by Microsoft.

This, of course, is totally in line with the company's philosophy - for example,
documentation for newly purchased software is also a seperately priced product
(case: Microsoft C 6.0)

I have a suggestion : In all their registration cards, they should include a
slot where you have to enter your ATM number - that way, they can take just
whatever they want whenever they want, thereby guaranteeing you an 
uninterrupted channel of support, and appeasing Microsoft's appetite for
cornering 1/4 of the US Treasury market.

Milan 
mms00786@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
.