Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!unix.cis.pitt.edu!djbpitt From: djbpitt@unix.cis.pitt.edu (David J Birnbaum) Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms Subject: Re: Application upgrades to support Windows 3 ... the saga continues Message-ID: <46865@unix.cis.pitt.edu> Date: 9 Oct 90 23:12:58 GMT References: <122119@linus.mitre.org> <1903@abvax.UUCP> Reply-To: djbpitt@unix.cis.pitt.edu (David J Birnbaum) Distribution: na Organization: Univ. of Pittsburgh, Comp & Info Services Lines: 37 In article <1903@abvax.UUCP> jaz@icd.ab.com (Jack A. Zucker) writes: >Well, you'll love this story. I bought Z-Soft's PC Paintbrush IV and >Soft Type ... (deleted: details of bad programming, bad technical support, and bad customer relations) I looked into ZSoft's Publisher's Type Foundry a couple of years ago. I work with languages that are not well supported by the big font designers and I wanted an outline-based system that would let me create new characters as needed and use them in applications. ZSoft has no 800 number, even for sales information. When I called during working hours several times I got only a recording; when I left my number and address and asked for information nobody returned my call and nobody mailed me anything. Okay, so they don't want to sell any software. I persevered and even- tually got to speak to a person. They tried to tell me that their program was exactly what I needed. A sadder but wiser net reader told me that ZSoft's outline format was completely proprietary and no other software could read it; all you could do with outlines was use them to create clumsy bitmapped fonts that would have to edited by hand. ZSoft never mentioned this. I now hear that ZSoft either supports or plans to support industry standard outline formats. Would I buy from them after my previous experiences? No way. After hearing about colleagues' experiences on the net? No way. --David ======================================================================= Professor David J. Birnbaum djbpitt@vms.cis.pitt.edu [Internet] The Royal York Apartments, #802 djbpitt@pittvms.bitnet [Bitnet] 3955 Bigelow Boulevard voice: 1-412-687-4653 Pittsburgh, PA 15123 USA fax: 1-412-624-9714