---------------
> Once upon a time Jacob Suter shaped the electrons to say...
> >aah... here...
> >PM-WIN
> >PMconsole for MS Windows 3.1 (3.5" disk)
> >$65
> >
> >Ok.. as we all know this is downloadable off your FTP site, so thats
> >cool (I wish I could get those kinda prices for disk reproduction,
but
> >hey, its cool).
>
> I would expect that at some point in the future, probably some months
after
> its release, the general 'free CD to anyone who asks' will end. I
can't see
> us doing it for the rest of time. But I expect that if some existing
> customer requests it we'll send it anyway - we have a lot of personal
> intiative and leeway. We've had the form up and have been accepting
> requests since early this year already.
well, send me 10 or 12.... They'd make AWSOME lobby coasters :-)...
> We do sell the software on media. Floppies are loaded by hand and
not
> mass duped - we don't ship enough of them to mass dupe them. If we
did
> that we'd end up with a load of outdated floppies because we change
the
> code too quickly. As it is right now we only run off a couple of
thousand
> CDs at a time. We want to provide the freshest product to the end
user -
> so when new manuals come out, PMconsole revs, or a new ComOS is
released
> we want that on CD and shipping with product ASAP. A high massed
produced
> stock of CDs would mean throwing them away, or delaying the shipment
of the
> latest software.
> Each product we ship ships with a CD-ROM of all of our software. For
most
> of our customers upgrades are not a problem as they continue to buy
our
> products. For others the free upgrade path is the FTP site.
If I remember right, I got one disk, that was just for the Sun Sparc
running Solaris *shudder*. At the time I was just running NT so I was
like "huh?"
> Note that 'free software upgrades' applies to the platforms we
support. And
> releasing a binary that runs on that platform is a legitimate upgrade
path.
> So RADIUS 2.0 binaries available for free on the FTP site are a free
upgrade
> for our users. We're offering the CD for free to registered users
just
> because we're nice - it is a service above and beyond what we *have*
to do.
> It is something we are doing to provide a better service to our
customers.
I absolutly agree. Its not livingston's responsibility to GIVE us the
media, just the software to upgrade it.
> >Now, if I remember right some months ago there was some kind of
debate
> >concerning a 32-bit version of PM-console for Windows. I don't know
>
> There was a version in devlopment, but AFAIK that is on hold now. We
> made some major decision about PMconsole. There will be one more
version
> in the current design to bring it up to date, and that will be
followed
> but a new, redesigned, reengineered PMconsole a while later. I don't
know
> how much I can say, so I won't give any details on the plans.
Ok, cool.
> >about everyone else, but I dumped Win 3.1 last November, and
PMConsole
> >for Win16 made WinNT3.51 and NT4 CRAWL, then if I left it open for a
>
> Have you tried PMWIN 1.1? 1.0 did have more problems, but 1.1 seems
to
> work well.
Same deal, less errors but it seems every machine I own HATES 16-bit
code... Its not the fact PMConsole is not written correctly, its just
that now its outdated to new technology, that kinda has backward
compatiblity in them.
> >I remember something about "if we release a Win32 PMconsole it will
> >cost extra, or something along those lines. Since it would be a NEW
>
> No, I don't think anyone here ever said that. I would hope not. We
never
> charged our existing customers for PMconsole for Windows when it
first
> shipped for example, why would a new version of the existing product
be
> different?
Well, personally I could understand charging for it. Its additional
load on your company, and most ISPs that I know are not running NT or
Win95 on their desktop...
> >I'm not bent, just mearly modified.
>
> You sounded bent - and note that your post now has others griping
about
> the same erroneous info - that the CD is going to cost money... I
just
> hope people see the other posts stating it is free before this
snowballs
> into a FUD rumor.
Ahh, they will.... Note the top of the letter :). I hate spending
money, since its somthing I don't have a lot of. There are a lot of
things that I miss from my old BBS Sysoping days, that are not in
radius/Portmaster. I am sure they could be hacked in, but its never
made a big enough hassle for me to actually sit down and do it. I've
had a person on 23:40 minutes in the last 24 hours.. no joke. Wish I
had a time limit set :-)
> >I know I know.. It was a joke. Lighten up will ya.
>
> I didn't read as a joke for me. I've had people seriously say things
like
> that, and since the entire tone of your post was upset I didn't see
levity
> in it.
Aaah, the problems of email and the whole interactive internet itself.
You cannot tell a small sarcastic remark from a serious threat.
> I suppose I'm a bit frazzled too. Ever since I started talking about
the
> PM-3 I've been getting hit from all directions - here, private email,
USEnet -
> with questions, misinformed allegations, various accusations, and
more...
> And at the same time I've been called out internally for going too
far at
> times with what I'm giving out. So at the same time I'm doing what I
can
> to get the most information out to the public to answer yoru
questions, I'm
> getting people telling me I'm trying to avoid questions or hide
something...
You do the best job possible with what you got. I don't know what you
get paid, but I seriously doubt its enough. If I were in your area I'd
take you out to lunch or something to show my appreciation for the
things you have helped me personally with (and putting up with me).
> I really do love my job, and I love working for Livingston like you
wouldn't
> believe - no one makes me work the hours I do, I do it because I
enjoy what
> I do and I will push myself to the limit to do the best I can for
both the
> customers and the company - but sometimes it gets under your skin. I
just
> wish people would understand that there are some things I just can't
talk
> about - not without repercusions - and that I am doing everything I
can.
I can understand that.. and hell, you gotta feed the wife and kids...
> One drawback to throwing yourself into your work is that you can take
things
> personally. I do it a lot - while it may mean I'll push myself even
more to
> take care of an issue, it also means I can be overly sensitive when I
feel
> like I'm doing everything I can and I'm still catching flak...
I got that myself here. I am generally available on 10 minute notice
from 8AM to 4AM, and some people are STILL not happy that I am not the
person that answers the phone and can handle their call in 10
minutes... Gee whiz - a man's gotta sleep!
it proves, no matter what you do, people want one better from that for
the same price... Hell, I find myself doing that all the time..
When's your birthday? Lets all pitch in together and get the man a
stripper or something :-)
TTYL
JS