Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Path: utzoo!utgpu!cunews!bnrgate!bcars223!fortinp
From: fortinp@bcars223.bnr.ca (Pierre Fortin)
Subject: Re: Minix updates from PH for $29.95?
Message-ID: <1990Aug22.232908.10410@bnrgate.bnr.ca>
Summary: Prentice Hall doesn't know their *** from a hole in a diskette!!!!
	 Too strong?  Read on...
Sender: kratz@bnrgate.bnr.ca (Geoff Kratz
Geoff Kratz)
Organization: Bell-Northern Research, Ltd. Ottawa Ontario CANADA
References: <1990Aug19.055428.12063@ucselx.sdsu.edu> <1990Aug20.134228.2606@mdivax1.uucp>
Date: Wed, 22 Aug 90 23:29:08 GMT

In article <1990Aug20.134228.2606@mdivax1.uucp>,  writes:
> In article <1990Aug19.055428.12063@ucselx.sdsu.edu> busch@sdsu.edu (Richard Busch) writes:
> >Accompanying my relatively newly purchased copy of "MINIX for the Atari-ST"
> >is a registration card that contains a checkoff item that reads:
> >
> >      >I would like to receive all MINIX updates for $29.95.
> >
> >When PH says "all," do they really mean ALL, as in the soon to be released
> >v1.5 Minix package? 

Here's what happens when you send in the ***ST*** registration card:
  - PH sends you 5.25" (fit well into 3.5" drives, eh?) ***IBM***-PC 1.3 diskettes
  - PH includes an invoice
  - you send letters to PH explaining the problem
  - PH continues to send invoices
  - you send more letters to PH
  - PH TOTALLY IGNORES your letters and CONTINUES to SEND D*MN INVOICES
  - your turn: you ignore the invoices
  - PH turns to a collection agency
Today (and my turn):
  - waiting for PH's next move; I really WANT them to try legal action...

> >
> >Has anyone actually taken advantage of this offer? If so, what exactly does
> >PH send for $29.95? 

See above.

> >
> 
> When I returned a similar card which came with PC Minix 1.3 along with a
> check for (I think) $39.95, PH sent me a duplicate copy of the
> distribution disks.

See my summary.

> 
> Apparently, in PHese, a Minix Distribution includes both disks and manual
> and a Minix Update includes the disks but not the manual.

Correction:  a Minix Update includes the "IBM-PC 1.3" disks...
             REGARDLESS of "type" of registration.
> 
> I think Andy said some months back that he would try to get PH to correct
> this.

Based on my experience so far, maybe Andy should try to find a proper software
distribution channel whose knowledge of computers is a little more than
automatic invoice generation.

Pierre Fortin
fortinp@bnr.ca

PH is doing for Minix what Atari did for the ST.
I like Minix and my ST,  but I HATE(!!!!) PH and Atari.