Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!hp-pcd!hpvcfs1!carlp
From: carlp@hpvcfs1.HP.COM (Carl Peterson)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
Subject: Re: Crippleware
Message-ID: <22080006@hpvcfs1.HP.COM>
Date: 20 Aug 90 19:07:26 GMT
References: <1376@fs1.ee.ubc.ca>
Organization: Hewlett Packard, Vancouver, WA
Lines: 74

John Paul Writes:

>/ hpvcfs1:comp.windows.ms / jmorriso@fs1.ee.ubc.ca (John Paul Morrison) /  8:40 pm  Aug 19, 1990 /
>Yet more crippleware crap!
>FLAME ON
>I realise writing WIndows programs is a tough business, but where the hell do
>people get off calling programs that are totally unusable SHAREWARE.

>I am talking about UNICOM. It seems other programers didn't like letting users
>try out their software like GCP (no longer shareware. If he let people try
>it out, maybe he would have had some success with it.) 

GCP and UNICOM are seperate products by seperate people.  The author of
GCP explained that he was withdrawing GCP from the ShareWare domain
because of the lack of paid registration.  My point is, if you want to
complain about UNICOM, complain about UNICOM.  If you want complain about
GCP, do so as a seperate issue.

>Someone said the new unicom would have the annoying features disabled.
>I've got version 2, and I don't see any reference to a temporary license
>number, so all I can asssume is that the program is almost completely
>CRIPPLED until you plunk down $45 US, or almost $60 Canadian. I might as well
>get CrossTalk fo Windows. It is probably better anyway.

Where did you get version 2.0?  An anonymous ftp download?  Are you sure that
it isn't version 1.4?  Why do you assume it's crippled?  Are choices not
available in the menus or documented features not present?  It would help
if you described the problems your having.  Why should we take your word
that 'CrossTalk fo Windows' is better if you haven't tried it!


>DON'T REGISTER UNICOM. Personally, I think this guy is using network bandwidth
>and modem time to send out 200kbytes of promo. This is worse than those stupid
>Lotus demo disks. People like this give shareware a bad rap. I think the
>assoation of shareware profesionals would be unhappy to see this kind of
>going on.
>
>If someone tells me I'm wrong about this, and there is a way to USE Unicom,
>I'm not going to apologize, because he did this on his other versions.
>
>FLAME not off YET!

I really hate it when someone makes a bunch of unsubstantiated claims about
how bad a program is.  Worse yet, to have them go on and claim that a 
program they've never tried must be better.  This kind of WHINING is one of
the worst uses of a public media.  If you have problems with a program tell
us about them in detail so that we can help you get past them or avoid them
ourselves.  If you want to review a program, do so in a thoughtful well
layed out manner that describes the pros and cons.  But for God's sake
don't waste people's time whining.

I use UNICOM.  I paid for version 1.4 and intend to upgrade to 2.0.  I like
it.  It does most of the things I want to do.  I like the fact that it
supports Zmodem and Quick B.  It does update the screen too slowly when I'm
logging and running MS-Windows 3.0 with a 256 color driver.  But Hey, for
$60.00 it's great.

				CTP

Disclaimer:  The above represents my personal opinion.  My employer is
  not responsible for my dribble.

+------------------------------------------------------+
|   Carl Peterson	(206) 896-2745	       	       |
|   Hewlett-Packard                                    |
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