Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!microsoft!brianw
From: brianw@microsoft.UUCP (Brian WILLOUGHBY)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: Lasers are not reliable? (was Re: Apple C+)
Summary: Video Tech, who?
Message-ID: <10098@microsoft.UUCP>
Date: 30 Dec 89 01:12:23 GMT
References: <8799.infoapple.net@pro-generic> <954@oucsace.cs.OHIOU.EDU> <15210@boulder.Colorado.EDU>
Reply-To: brianw@microsoft.UUCP (Brian WILLOUGHBY)
Organization: Microsoft Corp., Redmond WA
Lines: 78

In article <15210@boulder.Colorado.EDU> kuo@boulder.Colorado.EDU (KUO ANDY Y) writes:
>   The Lasers were manufactured in Hong Kong.  But the CopyII+ that
> bundled with it were Made in USA :-)

That's the problem.  The technology is overseas, and the only support you can
get here is replacement or repair.  Difficulties with the design of their
products hit a brick wall because there is no technological communication
between Hong Kong and USA.  See below.

>    Also, (at least on my warranty card) Central Point Software
> handels the repairs.  They don't send it back overseas--does the
> Apple dealers send GS parts back to singapore?  Do you know how
> long the shipping goes?

It sounds like you might be saying that the GS is made in Singapore, but I may
have misunderstood.  Tell me, do you think that the GS is actually manufactured
in Singapore?  Or is it just that the ICs that Apple purchases to put into the
GS are stamped as "Made in Singapore".  Just because the RAMs are made overseas
doesn't indicate that the machine is assembled there.  Even if the GS
IS assembled elsewhere (I doubt that the GS or the Mac are made anywhere but in
Folsom, CA), what would stop Apple Co. from keeping local stock in the same way
that CPS keeps local stock of Asian products?

>   Video Tech owns Central Point now but I think the handeling
> for repairing is still the same (although the company is Laser
> Computer--I think).  By the way, some local dealers can handel
> repairs also.

True: Video Tech owns both Central Point and Laser, according to Laser Computer
Technical Support.

>   If you don't know it, please don't make a joke out of it. The
> ROM has been very compatible (actually so compatible that I wonder why
> Apple has not sue them).  To confirm that my words are valid, I suggest
> you dig out your old Apple magazines, there were some wonderful reviews.

I haven't poked around a Laser, but the Franklin clones (the new ones, now that
the company has resurfaced like a Phoenix after Apple Co. sued them out of
existence once before :-) do not disassemble memory like the true Apple monitor
does.  I wouldn't recommend a Franklin to a programmer for that reason.  Does
the Laser support all of the Apple monitor commands?  Has anyone byte compared
the ROMs to see if Laser photocopied Apple's property?

>    Considering all the strange stories your local dealer has told you. I
> suggest you contact Video Tech directly to find out how wrong your
> dealer has been handeling your case.
>
>    I suggest you contact Video Tech because some lowly manufactures
> in your area may be cloning the successful Laser--at least your story
> is very, very strange.

Hey, I'd like to contact Video Tech about some design flaws in my Universal
Disk Controller.  I called CPS and Laser both, but they didn't know anything
technical about the product, just that Video Tech designed it, and they didn't
even know how to contact Video Tech.

Please, if you know Video Tech's number, post it for me.

> I needed all the processor
> speed and the fastest "Apple" was a Laser128EX.

Actually, you can get an Apple ][ Plus very cheaply and add a Applied
Engineering TransWarp card to acheive the same speed as a Laser128EX, but you
would also have 7 extra slots!  But I'm not strictly Apple Co., because I have
a home-made Apple Plus clone with the AE TransWarp.

>    Disclaimer: I have no connection with Laser/Video Tech/Central Point
> except as a satisfied user.

I would be satisfied if Video Tech had either given thier overseas number with
the UDC product, or at least technically trained the Laser employees on the
Support number that they did list with the product.

Brian Willoughby
UUCP:           ...!{tikal, sun, uunet, elwood}!microsoft!brianw
InterNet:       microsoft!brianw@uunet.UU.NET
  or:           microsoft!brianw@Sun.COM
Bitnet          brianw@microsoft.UUCP