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From: bkd@pc.usl.edu (Dore Brian K)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
Subject: Re: Lotus 1-2-3
Message-ID: <14638@rouge.usl.edu>
Date: 13 Sep 90 21:37:33 GMT
References: <1990Sep13.035141.26578@rodan.acs.syr.edu>
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Organization: Univ. of Southwestern La., Lafayette
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Originator: bkd@pc.usl.edu

amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Allen J Michielsen) writes:

>A word of warning and an atonement to lotus.
>The version 3 Install program is my nomination for the worst work
>of the year.  The distribution is on high density media, (in my case 1.2M)
>and gets worse from there.  The files are compressed to save space.
>All 3 copies I opened were missing the card to request 360K disks.  No
>mention of 3.5 drives.  The software requires a AT & about 1 MB, and the
>only computer with all the media resources I needed was a XT.  The install
>program also requires a AT.  Why is beyond me.  The Install program crashed
>time after time, for reason after reason.  Each time ruining or almost
>ruining the 1.2 M disk.  After everything, there isn't any option to install
>all the drivers the first time so just about any change requires the original
>distribution media to change the selected hardware.  What's worse, the
>program MUST use the same drive media as the distribution disks.  If you 
>upgrade to 3.5 in drives, you basically won't ever be able to change the
>selected equipment without paying lotus for new disks....
>The whole ordeal was a mess, and I abhore the thought of trying to manage
>multiple copies of this stupid thing on a variety/ mish-mash of patched
>up hardware.

I have installed over 12 copies of Lotus 3.0 in the last 6 months.  I 
ordered both directly from Lotus and from mail order distributors and
always received the software on the media I requested.  If you bought or
received the wrong media, it is your own fault.  I have installed the
software on a pair of 286 machines, a 386SX, and the rest 386 clones
of different types and never had the install software fail to work.
The requirements for a 286 or 386 are clearly explained on the package.
Lotus has provided version 2.2 for the XT class machines.  Lastly, the
software already takes up a tremendous amount of disk space on its' own,
I sure wouldn't want to waste hard drive space on drivers for devices I 
didn't own.  

While I agree that there are cases where it would be convienient to have
all the executables, data, drivers, etc. available in unencrypted
format and available to move to any media so that the software could
be moved between different machines, the software is liscensed to run 
on A particular machine and use in this manner would be usually illegal.

If this bothers you, you obviously haven't tried installing DOS 4.0
from the original diskettes have you?  I would have sympathized if you
had complained about THAT.  :^)|



-- 
Brian K. Dore'                 Internet  : bkd@pc.usl.edu
Programmer /Analyst            U.S. Mail :   PO Box 42770
Computing Center                      Lafayette, LA 70504 
University of Southwestern LA  Telephone : (318) 231-6868