Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!apple!netcomsv!gandrews
From: gandrews@netcom.COM (Greg Andrews)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: Re: Telebit Announcement of V.32 bis for T-1600
Summary: Charge/No-Charge firmware upgrade policy
Message-ID: <1991Jun24.014347.5895@netcom.COM>
Date: 24 Jun 91 01:43:47 GMT
References: <1991Jun23.122514.27945@nstar.rn.com> <1991Jun23.174109.2978@shaman.com>
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  UNIX System {408 241-9760 guest}
Lines: 62

In article <1991Jun23.174109.2978@shaman.com> jiro@shaman.com (Jiro Nakamura) writes:
>In article <1991Jun23.122514.27945@nstar.rn.com> larry@nstar.rn.com (Larry  
>Snyder) writes:
>>
>> [...]
>> ...and Telebit in the past (at least with my dealings) have
>> been friendly on the phone, but on the other hand they wanted to charge
>> me for firmware upgrades - while USR has ALWAYS provided me FREE
>> firmware upgrades.
>> 
>
>  I phoned Telebit tech support the other day since I was having some
>problems connecting with some sites at 9600bps with MNP5. I spoke 
>to a fellow named Randy Dole. He was *very* helpful and agreed to send
>out the latest T2500 ROMs (v7.03) to me to figure out if that was
>the problem. 
>   So.... I don't know why Telebit charged you. Or why they didn't charge
>me. But I just wanted to straighten out that they don't charge everyone
>for upgrades. And no, I'm no-one special, I only have one T2500 and
>that's about it. No inside connections.
>

It's pretty simple, actually.

If you're having problems because of a bug in the firmware, and a new
version of firmware is available that fixes that bug, you get the
upgrade at no charge.

If you're simply looking to get a new feature (for example V.42/V.42bis
or Password Security), or just want the "latest and greatest" for no other 
reason besides "because it's there", then you'll have to pay to get the 
upgrade.

In other words: If you need a fix, it's free; if you just want more bells
and whistles, it's not free.

>
>    Now, I'd *love* to see v32bis on the T2500. But I hear that it just
>doesn't have enough horsepower (not to mention the serial port is stuck
>at 19200 max). Sigh........ I wish Telebit would do *something* about
>the v32bis solution. Kind of reminds me of Apple..... A great company
>with great products, that slept on its laurels for *too* long.
>

Please rest assured that Telebit will not leave T2500 owners swinging in
the wind.  I can't give specifics (mostly because I haven't been told
them), but Telebit is not going to ignore the needs of their customers
for V.32bis.  The recent announcement of an upgrade price for the T1600
is evidence of that.  The T1600 has been on the market for only seven
months, and therefore represents a small part of Telebit's customer base.  
If Telebit is going to make V.32bis available for their (relatively) few 
T1600 customers, do you really think they will ignore the large numbers
of TB+ and T2500 customers...?


>Jiro Nakamura				jiro@shaman.com

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