In message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Derek Stewart <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes
Hi Roy, Rowing again....
No not really.
If I remember correctly, you asked me for a copy to try on your Q40, when you
came back, and said that it did not work, I said, when get a Q60 it is better than the
Q40. As you see we were there to sell the Q60.
But that is just not good enough.
But this is the whole problem that Tony and I struggled with on the Q40. Things would work on one machine and then not on another. As far as we could see they were identical but what then was the problem ? Peter Graf said that all his designs and machines were perfect and needed no changes (well he implied that by the amount of effort he put into trying to solve the problems and the amount attention he paid to us). You cannot say to the thirty or so people who bought the Q40 that they must buy a new machine if they want it to work. I spent a lot of time testing versions of SMSQ/E from TT and trying to get the bugs fixed. This is the responsibility of the reseller. This is what we charge a bit extra for. D&D now have the Qxx mantle and you have to have some responsibility with it.OK, I do understand the word support, it is a pity no one supported me.There have been many occasions where users have reported things to me that crashed on their system and worked on mine but I always made the effort to try to find out why. This is called support. If you patch a version of SMSQ/E and distribute it will get out to other systems because we are all in communication (mostly) and other people will try it out on other machines and then......chaos.
I have never patched any version of SMSQ/E, as if this is required, then the software
writer has not done his job correctly, in producing a bug free piece of software.
<SNIP>
Yes I agree, also add in Q40 SMSQ/E v2.92 to v2.98 which did not work correctly on thePatches are for the user to apply and not the person who does the selling. Patches change the code and are, therefore, an infringement of the copyright and the licence.
Q40 you sold me. I used the Q40 for BBS and until the details of the patch appeared in Quanta
Volume 18 Issue 7 August 2001, the system did not work correctly. Phil Borman's BBS used to
not send the mail to my BBS with the Pbox mailer due to the bug introduced, which the patch or
bug fix correctly. If Mr Tebby had done job right then the code would not be patched.
I have supplied a couple of copies of SMSQ/E with added modules but they were always on separate media to the original software which was distributed as supplied. I have also refused updates which I feel are not stable or do not work on my systems. I would not distribute v2.99 of SMSQ/E for the Gold Card without supplying v2.91 which was, in my opinion, the last one to handle the DD drives correctly If there is a bug you have to try get it fixed. That is why we are conduit between the end user and the programmer. I admit with TT effectively out of the running recently this is a problem but Wolfgang is the person who could incorporate the 'patch' into the distribution not D&D.
--
Roy Wood
Q Branch, 20 Locks Hill Portslade. Sussex. BN41 2LB. UK
Tel : +44 (0)1273 386030 Fax : +44 (0)1273 430501 (New number!)
Mobile +44(0)7836 745501
Web : www.qbranch.demon.co.uk
