Autor: Andrzej Eilmes (eilmes_at_gembon.ch.uj.edu.pl)
Data: Sat 18 Oct 1997 - 12:37:23 MET DST
Tak sie jakos sklada, ze jestem "czarna owca" na pl.comp.os.os2 -
wsrod zagorzalych zwolennikow, "ambasadorow OS/2", itp. od czasu do czasu
wyrazam jakas krytyczna uwage na temat OS/2. Dzis tez sie nie moglem
oprzec checi przeforwardowania postingu z comp.os.os2.*
Od jakiegos czasu juz kraza tam narzekania na traktowanie klientow
nie dysponujacych dziesiatkami tysiecy dolarow, ten posting jest
szczegolnie charakterystyczny.
Od czasu do czasu ktos pyta na tej grupie "czy warto instalowac OS/2".
Ponizszy list moze pomoc w znalezieniu wlasciwej odpowiedzi.
Moj komentarz: jakkolwiek autor postingu wydaje sie miec jeszcze nadzieje,
ze nie bedzie musial zmieniac systemu, to sa to tylko zludzenia.
Z UNIXowo/NTymi pozdrowieniami
Andrzej Eilmes
PS. Co prawda nie wiem co to takiego "ambasador OS/2", ale
jesli to nie jest zabawa Pomaranczowej Alternatywy w stylu "komendant twierdzy
Wroclaw", to moze zajalby jakies stanowisko w poruszonej ponizej sprawie.
A oto zapowiedziany forward:
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cbarr_at_fsrl.com (Christopher J. Barr) wrote:
Well, folks. Time to dust off the Linux books. I think the rumors are true
this time.
My company uses OS/2 exclusively. We have a large (for us) investment in
it. Not only money, but time -- we've had to develop our own inhouse
applications where commercial stuff did not exist. A number of upgrades and
products have been announced recently that seem to be available only through
Software Choice or to those with Software Advantage. There were rumors on
the net that other products, perhaps even Netscape Communicator, would be
released this way.
Today I called IBM Direct to find out how one bought these retail or, if
they were not available retail, how one got into Software Choice. (I had
earlier been told that there was a $10,000 minimum commitment, but some
recent postings here led me to think that I might have been misinformed.)
After the usual chase around the Centrex, I finally got someone at IBM
Direct named Kyle. He confirmed that this and other products would only be
sold as part of either Software Advantage or Software Choice. I
characterized this as IBM freezing out small customers. I pointed out that
my investment in OS/2 might be small to IBM but was substantial to my
company.
"There is no way IBM would do that." Kyle said. "Let me send you the info
on Software Choice. It nowhere says you have to spend $10,000 to join. It
is specifically designed for valued IBM customers for whom Software
Advantage is not appropriate." He sent me a five page fax. It nowhere
mentioned any need to join Software Advantage or to make any commitments
whatsoever. For Warp Server Advanced SMP (which I am using) all one needs
to do is pay $699 for one installation.
So I called back to order it. Got a different rep, this time. It turns
out, you DO have to belong to Software Advantage to get Software Choice.
They called headquarters to double check. "Well," I asked, "how or when
will I be allowed to buy the upgrades, then?" The rep was embarrassed.
"You won't. You have to be a member of Software Advantage." He spent a few
minutes trying to convince me this was a "neat thing". A way to get stuff
ahead of regular users, etc.
"Great." I said. "But what if I can't afford $10,000? What if I just want
to upgrade the $1000 Warp Server Advanced I already bought? Now you are
saying that I suddenly cannot buy upgrades or certain new products? Look,
tell me I pay a higher price. Tell me I have to wait a couple of months for
them to go retail. But don't tell me I am simply not allowed to buy them."
He agreed, at this point, that he too really thought it was a pretty dumb
idea. He could not explain it. He hoped I complained about it. He hoped I
got it changed. He encouraged me to have my friends and colleagues call IBM
-- "as many as possible, because IBM just cares about numbers."
I called the number he gave me. 1 (800)426-3333. A nice woman struggled to
understand what I was trying to tell her. "OS/2? Didn't we stop selling
that?" I told her that this was news to me. "Oh. I thought I heard people
talking here about that. That we were having trouble with OS/2."
She ended up calling IBM Direct on the other line and going back and forth
between a woman named Kate any myself. Finally she brought Kate in on a
conference call. Kate's position was "That is the rule. The only way you
can buy these things is by joining Software Advantage" with a $10,000 entry
fee. Then she got snippy and told me that she was not going to "sit here
and argue with you." I told her that all I wanted to do was to buy an
upgrade to Warp Server Advanced. I was willing to be told that it cost more
on a one off basis than through Software Choice. But I could not believe
that I was being told I could not buy it at all because my company was too
small. Kate's response: "What do you need TCPIP 4.1 for anyway? Warp
Server Advanced will continue to work perfectly well for you the way you
bought it." When I asked her to repeat that so I could get it all down, she
quickly left the conversation.
The lady who had introduced me to Kate was quite shocked at Kate's rudeness
and tried to find out her last name so SHE could make a complaint!
Then she switched me to her own boss. One of the few IBM people I have
spoken to in recent years who actually seems fond of IBM. A long time
IBMer. I joked with her about IBM being brain dead. Told her about my 18
hour telephone adventure trying to get a replacement manual for a current
product, only to discover that IBM simply would not sell me one. (She was
pretty shocked at that one.)
I said that once IBM meant great marketing, that they had dominate the world
despite inferior and overpriced products. Now, with great products, they are
the most inept marketers I had ever stumbled across. She laughed and tried,
in a nice way, to defend both the old IBM and the new. But there was a
wistful overtone in her voice.
It is not going to be easy for us to change operating systems. But I have
decided to start looking. Anyone who relies on IBM, who builds a data
infrastructure based on IBM is building his castle on sand.
Meanwhile, anyone else out there think that this new caste system of IBM's
is unethical and repugnant? Then call and register your complaint.
Call Dee Hooks at 1 800 426 4968. Be polite. I think she secretly agrees it's
a stupid and cynical idea.
To archiwum zostało wygenerowane przez hypermail 2.1.7 : Tue 18 May 2004 - 15:13:31 MET DST