Xref: utzoo comp.unix.microport:2948 talk.rumors:2503
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!ncar!noao!asuvax!mcdphx!mcdchg!ddsw1!karl
From: karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Karl Denninger)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.microport,talk.rumors
Subject: Re: Interactive (was uport death rumors)
Summary: Ok guys, then why can't you get a simple install working!?
Keywords: microport
Message-ID: <3080@ddsw1.MCS.COM>
Date: 7 Mar 89 14:52:44 GMT
References: <285@swusrgrp.UUCP> <1652@trantor.harris-atd.com> <3422@ima.ima.isc.com>
Reply-To: karl@ddsw1.UUCP (Karl Denninger)
Followup-To: comp.unix.microport
Organization: Macro Computer Solutions, Inc., Mundelein, IL
Lines: 43

In article <3422@ima.ima.isc.com> trb@ima.UUCP (Andrew Tannenbaum) writes:
>In article <1652@trantor.harris-atd.com> wcurtiss%x102c@trantor.harris-atd.com (William Curtiss) writes:
>
>> [ As a side note, Interactive was recently bought by Kodak. ]
>
>William,
>I can't imagine what your intention is by associating Interactive with
>Microport death rumors.  
>......if you want some current ISC news, we're buying
>Lachman Associates......Associating Interactive with Microport death 
>rumors is unfounded if not insidious.

I'll give you that..... but:

Why is it that Interactive (at least their East Coast offices) is playing
Microport-style games with the bugs in the 2.x version of the software?

We have a customer who bought (against our recommendation) your 1.0.6
software.  There was (and IS) a confirmed BUG in the installation procedure
which makes the BFI method of bad track entry worthless -- that is, it can't
do math correctly and calculates an incorrect sector offset.  Your
California offices have confirmed this as a bug during our telephone
conversations.  Unfortunately, the only method of bad track reporting that I
have ever seen on a fixed disk from the factory has been head/cyl/BFI.... 

V2.0 STILL had this problem, as did the "fix" disks that were sent (2.0.1?).
As of this day the trouble still exists.  Interactive has tried to claim
"you're the only one who has the problem", but we have a nice email letter 
from another person who has run into the EXACT same difficulty, and HAS 
reported it!  "Brian" at your East Coast offices is still maintaining (to 
the customer; we've since dropped our interest in your OS!) that this one
installation is the ONLY one where the problem has surfaced.

It would be really nice if software was tested before shipment, especially
parts of the software that are essential to proper installation of a
working package!  I love the speed of your new V2.x release, but with this
nasty problem in the installation portion of the package I couldn't recommend
your product with a clear conscience.

--
Karl Denninger (karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM, ddsw1!karl)
Data: [+1 312 566-8912], Voice: [+1 312 566-8910]
Macro Computer Solutions, Inc.    	"Quality solutions at a fair price"