Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!mcsun!ukc!acorn!osmith
From: osmith@acorn.co.uk (Owen Smith)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: Repairs (was Re: Floppy drive disk errors)
Message-ID: <8009@acorn.co.uk>
Date: 25 Jun 91 17:56:42 GMT
References: <1991Jun24.215955.4061@comp.vuw.ac.nz>
Sender: osmith@acorn.co.uk
Distribution: comp
Organization: Acorn Computers Ltd, Cambridge, England
Lines: 27

In article <1991Jun24.215955.4061@comp.vuw.ac.nz> Gavin.Flower@comp.vuw.ac.nz
(Gavin Flower) writes:

>Therfore Owens Smith's remarks may have been relevent in the days of TRS80's
>*BUT NOT NOW*.  In short his comments seem to demonstrate a lack of
>understanding
>of the support demanded by users in todays computer market.

Not so. I accept that good service should be available. I used to be system
manager of a large (3 washing machine size boxes) Data General minicomputer.
Although I did play around with the boards and cabling from time to time,
I greatly appreciated having a four hour call out maintenance contract. In
short, I tackled the jobs I could handle myself, and I called in the
engineer for the jobs I couldn't handle. This is what I would recommend
anyone to do, unless you have problems with invalidating warranties and
maintenance contracts (I knew the engineer personally) in which case you
should always use the proper service facilities.

I was suggesting how Graham(?) could get out of the immediate problem that
he has a non functional machine and he couldn't find anyone to repair it ie.
I was being pragmatic. I agree entirely that the service centres should
be prepared to take the job on. If they can't change a chip, then what
can they do? Is installing podules the limit of their capabilities?

Owen.

The views expressed are my own and are not necessarily those of Acorn.