Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!nuchat!sugar!schaub
From: schaub@sugar.UUCP (Markus Schaub)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: M2Amiga demo disk problems (long)
Message-ID: <1285@sugar.UUCP>
Date: 19 Dec 87 21:15:15 GMT
References: <2012@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU>
Organization: Sugar Land UNIX - Houston, TX
Lines: 89

treese@athena.mit.edu (Win Treese) writes:
> Two and a half weeks ago, I ordered the M2Amiga demo disk.  It finally
> arrived today.  Of course, I called them to complain this afternoon,
UPS is really slow this time of the year, SORRY about that. We immediatly
did send another disk.

> "Hmm," said I. "Must be a self-explanatory demo on the disk."
> But no.  First I tried to boot the disk, but it didn't work.  So I

Have you ever heard that Commodore's Bootstuff is copyrighted and that we
would need a special license?

> So I do this.  The "DoMe" program asks how many drives I have, asks to
> put the newly-formatted disk in the boot drive, and promptly visits the
> GURU.

PLEASE tell me about your configuration and check the M2Amiga demo disk for
errors. We NEVER had any reports on such problems! I just tried it again and
it worked.

> "Maybe the new disk should be bootable," suggests one of my housemates.
> So I reboot, run "install" and try again, also using a vanilla workbench 1.2

DoMe does NOT need a bootable disk, it just installs a combination of files
from the Workbench and the demo disk on the new disk. To boot the working
copy you need to install it before or after DoMe.

> Now I get past the place where it GURU'ed the first time.  The next screen
> displayed tells me that I need to run "install" on my new disk.  Thanks.

See above

> Then it grinds away for a while, and I end up with a bootable disk with
> the demos on it.

That's how it is supposed to be.

> So I boot it.  First time I try to do anything, it dies with a read/write
> error.
> I try to make another one.  5 attempts at this fail, all with the "DoMe"
> program meditating.

Did you try another empty disk? PLEASE again tell me exactly where it 
happend. If there really is a problem I'll fix it. But 'til now I cannot
reproduce it.

> "Well," I thought, "maybe I can put one together by copying the files over
> by hand," and I give that a try.  Finally, I get another disk that I
...
> and linker.  Fortunately, it's relatively straightforward for experienced
> programmers used to obscure techniques.  Four hours after I started, I
> have compiled one of the programs on the disk and it actually runs.

Just use the workbench and all techniques you're used to. Select the program
sources and double click the compiler's icon. Easy and straightforward for
experienced Amiga users (not programmers).

> errors).  It was nowhere near as nice as, say, mg is these days.
> It also runs in its own screen, so it's not easy to pop back and forth
> between a CLI window to run the compiler in.

Did you really write that??? Switching between screens is 'not easy'???
Can I assume you don't like the fact that you have the WB screen without
an editor window while doing some other stuff?

> After fighting with all this, I just can't see myself spending $250 for the
> real product.  How's Benchmark Modula-2 look?

I hope your pulse came down below 100 in the meantime. I can understand that
your not very happy after this experience. This is the first complaint about
the installation and the demo disk at all. What was the experience of all the
other people out there in netland who tried the demo disk. According to the
orders it can't be too bad. Remeber, we are here to provide a good product
but we are not perfect either. Also remeber that we provide a cheap demo
disk to enable you to have a look a the product. I had to pay 200 bucks just
to have a look at another Modula-2 system. Comments and critics always welcome.

PS: The introductory offer is $199 (+$10 shipping) 'til December 31, 1987!
 
> 	Win Treese
> 	MIT Project Athena

Happy Holidays

-- 
     //	Markus Schaub		uunet!nuchat!sugar!schaub      (713) 523 8422
    //	M2Amiga Developer	trying to get back the money I  paid  for  my
\\ //				Amiga by selling a few M2Amiga.
 \X/	c/o Interface Technologies Corp, 3336 Richmond #323, Houston Tx 77098