Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!ames!skipper!elxsi!maine From: maine@elxsi.dfrf.nasa.gov (Richard Maine) Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.programmer Subject: Re: BORLAND TECHNICAL SUPPORT (or lack of) Message-ID: Date: 28 Sep 90 18:38:11 GMT References: <51330003@hpindda.cup.hp.com> Sender: news@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov Organization: NASA Dryden, Edwards, Cal. Lines: 40 In-reply-to: hardin@hpindda.cup.hp.com's message of 26 Sep 90 22:36:39 GMT ergo@netcom.UUCP (Isaac Rabinovitch) writes: > Be that as it may, CIS is not a practical solution for many people. > I know a guy who accesses it only through TAPCIS during off hours, and > still ends up spending $50/month. That seems to be the bare minimum > to do any serious participation there. Perhaps some people get their > money's worth (though I suspect most CIS users get corporate discounts > and/or pass the costs on to their employers), but if a $99 compiler is > your main development tool.... On 26 Sep 90 22:36:39 GMT, hardin@hpindda.cup.hp.com (John Hardin) said: John> Though it's easy to rack up a $50/mo bill for CIS, that is definitely John> not a minimum for reasonable participation.... John> I agree that CIS is not practical for everyone, but I've found it John> useful enough for myself that I favor Borland products partly for John> the easy access to support I get over CIS. John> BTW, my employer does not help me with my CIS bills and I get no John> special discount. I agree with John on all his points here. Note also that if "a $99 compiler is your main development tool", you should not expect many hours of personalized support. I think the support is excellent for the price, and even compared to products costing five times as much or more. If you think your $99 entitles you to better support than Borland gives, then *I* wouldn't want to sell products to you. Not that I'm in such a business anyway, though I do give away software for free on occasion and then have people demand support - oh, well. :-( By pushing people to use Compuserve for support, I presume that Borland keeps there costs a little lower because of the times that somebody else on Compuserve answers a query, and also because when Borland does post an answer, many people can see it as well as the one who asked the question (unless it is specifically posted privately). -- Richard Maine maine@elxsi.dfrf.nasa.gov [130.134.64.6]