Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!ucsd!ogicse!oregon!jmeissen
From: jmeissen@oregon.oacis.org ( Staff OACIS)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Lattice Upgrade
Keywords: Question about Lattice Support...
Message-ID: <590@oregon.oacis.org>
Date: 23 Aug 90 21:00:26 GMT
References: <13240@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>
Organization: Oregon Advanced Computing Institute (OACIS), Beaverton, OR
Lines: 45

In article <13240@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> hutsonda@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Dwayne Hutson) writes:
>I have to wonder where my money went to when I purchased the Lattice
>product.  I have enjoyed the use I have gotten from the Lattice compiler,
>but I distinctly remember a Lattice salesman tell me at the AmiExpo in
>August of '89 that any upgrade that was 5.x would be free.  He said only
>major releases which would have a new number such as 6.x would cost the
>customer money.  This is one reason I chose Lattice over Aztec.

Well, I know there have been numerous responses to this already, but being
in the middle of this (as well as the front and back) for so long I have to
add my $.02.

The basic policy (which my no longer apply) could be thought of in terms
of version digit change. Changes which involved the 2nd digit to the right
of the decimal (e.g., 5.02 -> 5.04) were considered minor upgrades, usually
involved mostly patches, and were distributed free. Changes involving the 1st
digit over (5.0x -> 5.1x) were relatively major, usually involved major
rewrites of a good portion of the product, and were distributed in "new product"
form (generally without a manual) upon request for a small fee (mostly to
recover production, shipping, and handling costs, but with a little capitalist
padding :-) We struggled hard to keep the cost low, though). Changes involving
digits to the left of the decimal were considered quite major, involving
extensive changes across the board, including documentation, and upgrades
were priced accordingly (although never more than $75, if memory serves me).

>What has happened?  I supported and wrote in Lattice's defense when they
>were recieving negative comments last update, over the mixup of the 5.4
>upgrade.  Now I am wondering if I should have said anything at all.
>Is there no longer real customer support anymore.  I mean it really isn't
>support if you have to pay a good percentage of the cost of the original
>itself.
>
There has never been a 5.4 upgrade. It was 5.02 -> 5.04. SAS customer support
is there, and is good. I don't necessarily agree with the 1-900 bit, but they
certainly aren't setting any precedent (Microsoft has done it this way for a 
while now), and at least they answer the phone, unlike some other Amiga
C compiler manufacturer I heard of on the net recently :-).

Given the price of dics, you could sell the 6 you get with this upgrade and
offset the cost somewhat if you think it's too steep :-).
-- 
John Meissen .............................. Oregon Advanced Computing Institute
jmeissen@oacis.org        (Internet) | "That's the remarkable thing about life;
..!sequent!oacis!jmeissen (UUCP)     |  things are never so bad that they can't
jmeissen                  (BIX)      |  get worse." - Calvin & Hobbes