I just returned from the Seattle show.  While there, I signed up for the
Nobeltec 7.0 upgrade.  It's $199.  Looking at the list of features, one
bullet point was "one year of free technical support."  I explained to the
friendly attendant that I was not interested in this feature.  Unlimited
free support was working fine with me.  This is no longer an option.  We
will either have to keep updating, which will cover support a year at a
time, or pay for support.  I'm too far down the road with Nobeltec to change
to another program, but this is a word to the wise for those that are buying
navigation programs.

Todd
Portland, OR

-----Original Message-----
Todd Mains wrote:
Unlimited free support was working fine with me.  This is no longer an
option.  We
will either have to keep updating, which will cover support a year at a
time, or pay for support.

REPLY
Welcome to the wonderful world of corporate (legal piracy) software version
101!

NDI has already started this trend with their "User Licence for one year"
If Maptech has not already done so, just wait a while.

This is their response to people refusing to always upgrading to the latest
and greatest because they fel they have bought something and expect to use
it for several years.

regards
Arild

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-----Original Message-----
From: Todd Mains

Unlimited free support was working fine with me.  This is no longer an
option.  We
will either have to keep updating, which will cover support a year at a
time, or pay for support.  I'm too far down the road with Nobeltec to change

REPLY
In my opinion this is a very short sighted policy on the part of the
manufacturers.
However, it is in keeping with the narrow minded focus of many accountants
and business people who only care about the bottom line.

AS consumers ther is little we an do except express our displeasure and make
a point of patronizing those business who do provide ongoing customer
support.
No one seems to give much thought to the fact that a good product would not
need much in the way of customer support.
Only those products that are  falwed, unweildy or downright user unfriendly
require repeated  calls to the customer service department.

Software in particular seems to become more and more complex, not to mention
buggy. The new genereation of code writers apparently do not understand the
meaning of "tight code"  preferring instead to count on faster processors
and larger memory storage to cover their sins of omission (failing to write
tight code). As long as the percieved delay, as the computer processes ever
increasing data and sub routines, is not objectionable; no one complains.

Another disturbing trend is the shift to offshore manufacturing in automated
plants or in plants with only semi skilled labour.
Warranty repairs now become a thing of the past. Instead you will get a
completely new replacement (Warranty replacement)
Who knows if this will also have the same hidden flaw which will emerge
later on, possibly beyond the warranty period.

I would prefer to have my piece of equipment repaired for the actual fault
and in the process checked out by a qualified tech who can then ascertain
that everything is in fact working properly.

This is no longer an option with many products.  When you scratch beneath
the surface you discover that the company "repair" facility is little more
than a shipping /receiving dock where they track the number of defectives
coming in and ensure a replacement is shipped to cover it.

Depending on complexicity and production cost the returns are sometimes
scrapped right there.
A friend back east does just that. Although designated as a "warranty repair
facility" he only checks to make sure the unit has a real fault and then he
scraps them.  Units found to be in working order which may have suffered a
finger problems by the customer is returned to the dealer who now has to
cope with a "used" product he cannot sell as new. Hence the bargain tables
seen in so many stores.

Apparently, the retailers and manufactures are playing a numbers game. The
mark up is sufficient to cover a statistical number of failures  being
writtten off. As long as the defect retursn is below this cost threshold; no
problem.

Sad commetary on our consumer society.  What ever happened to the concept of
designing and building something to last longer than the warranty period.
For that matter "warranty" was a foreign concept in the old days.
You didn't expect things to break down unless it was abused.

Now! who wants the soap box next?

Arild

Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.423 / Virus Database: 238 - Release Date: 11/25/2002

It is as if the software company says, "Beta test my software.  But instead
of paying you to do it, you will pay me."

A compilation of the resulting data allows the software vendor to release
the latest upgrade, and the process continues.

Todd
Portland, OR