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From: jdp@caleb.UUCP (Jim Pritchett)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: comm programs
Message-ID: <10109.AA10109@caleb>
Date: 4 Oct 90 02:59:32 GMT
Followup-To: comp.sys.amiga
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[Feed Maxicomm to the LineEater!]

Just to inject a little fairness into this discussion:

I've had an Amiga since December 1985.  (not quite day 1, but very
close!)  I was there when Maxicomm was the first and only widely
distributed commercial comm program for the Amiga.  Frankly, it
stank according to the BBS comments of the time.  Somewhat more
accurately, it was alpha software foisted off on the buying public.
(This author later became famous for selling alpha and beta software -
e.g. MaxiPlan and Ultracard.)  I bought the first version of OnLine!
when it came out.  It worked, but it had a few annoying bugs!  It was
much better than MaxiComm.  It took about a year for MaxiComm to reach
what was reported to be a useable configuration.  (Actually, a few of
the OnLine! problems that I had were due to the bugs in v1.1 of AmigaDos.)
Over time MSS (the publisher) has provided upgrades (4 or 5 if I remember
correctly) for a fee.  These upgrades fixed bugs and added capabilities.
I upgraded on each on except the last one when it became "Platinum."  I
didn't upgrade the last time for two reasons.  First, and most important
was the fact that OnLine! worked fine for me except for the CIS-B download
protocol that I didn't use anyway.  Second, the upgrade cost more than
the benefit provided.  However, I see little substance to account for
the tremendous bashing that OnLine! always gets on the nets.  For some
reason, it has become one of the popular products for people to bash on
the networks.  I really don't know why, though.  There were and are much
worse products out there which get little of this kind of bashing.  I've
used OnLine! since it came out, and I like it.  That's my opinion.

I should note that MaxiPlan eventually became a useful product also.  I
use it regularly.  (It has a few annoying bugs still, but it is useful
if you avoid them.)  However, I would highly recommend that you carefully
test any product written by the author of MC, MP, and UCard before buying!
From what I've seen, the first several versions of his programs are nearly
useless.  Eventually, he seems to get the programs debugged to a usable
state - but not even close to bug free!  Of course, these upgrades will
cost you more money.  Unfortunately, he also seems to lose interest in the
programs before they reach what I would call a finished state.  Caveat
Emptor.

By the way, any time that you buy commercial software that is so buggy
that it is obviously "beta" software, please post warnings here so that
others will be warned!  I would like to thank the posters that reported
the "beta" nature of UltraCard before I bought one.


These are my opinions and fading memories.  If I have misremembered,
please drop me a note.

                                 Thanks,



--

                                                Jim Pritchett


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