CompuServe Messages

Charles, RE: frivolous tech support calls: If you use a voice mail/return call system you can actually had off the RTFMM responses to a receptionist tyep to return on a time availble basis. The "real" ones can then be researched and a return call/fax/email made by the investigating engineer. Also, if they can't produce a registration number that is tied to thier name in you data bank, you do not owe any return call. (Or if they get a live person, just say without the proper name/num, no service. (Equivalent of no shirt, no shoes…). The problems are the common knowledge ones with TapeWorm: 1) each revision (1.0 to 1.1 t0 1.2 to 1.3) rendered tapes written on the previous revision unreadable. Attempted recoveries rendered onnly partial directories. I've sent debug mode outptu files from recovery sessions to Moonlighter with accompanying letters for the 1.0 to 1.1 and 1.1 to 1.2. The set for the 1.2 to 1.3 went to your tech support as have two phone calls which havve generated nothing more than an "oh really?" and "what letter? What disks?" Same response I got from Moonlighter and it sounded like the same guy I talked to at moonlighter. 2) The keep directory on tape had never worked. 3) listing, let alone recovering earlier revs of the files on the tape had also never worked. 4) TWctrl Kill command doesn't kill the FS enough to allow access of the tape as a backup by other than Moonlighter software. 5) reformatting the tape with the same volume name does not delete the directory from the directory dtorage drawer. 6) If you attempt a reformat aftet "kill" the "No Tape in Device TAPE:" message comes up with abort retry choices. As with all TapeWorm alerts this one is a never ending loop from which the only recoveryis to reboot. 7) You also run into #6 if you have a dir util monitoring the TAPE: directory when you eject the tape using TWCtrl. That is the short list. I've got two other pages of bugs around here somewhere. Basically, Moonlighter did not test the product before they sold it. They left it to paying users to locate bugs for them. In my opinion, especially considering this is a file system product and device driver of sorts, it should be much more stable and relieable than even backup software. In my opinion, 1.3 is about where you would expect an early beta peice of software to be. ABTools Plus I have but have not registered as I tried in and RELLY hated it. (Opinion only, it worked o.k for the five minutes I played with it). The dumb names on things – G.P, Antiseptic, Lab Test….cute names, but they tell me nothing. I have to get the manual out to figure out what they mean. AB I will not use becuase you do not keep the ddirectory of backed up files on the tape/backup disks with the backed up files. And there is no way to get one short of "recovering it" from the tape unless you'dlike to clutter up your HD or keep track of a ton of floppies with seperate backup directories. Some people may like that – I hate it. You should provide an option to do it either way (or both). I have GVP GForce '040, ADos 2.1, ane a Maynstream DAT I got with TapeWorm from Moonlighter at the WOCA Pasedena, 9/93. TapeWorm is so useless and unreliuable I just gave up on it and it, likewise has been de-installed. As for the support contract, you gotta do what the economics warrant. But, for this type of software (simple, low-level tool/utility software) the operation should be so simple and reliable that a support contract makes no sense. You also have to place it in context with what we are used to in that regard. Like th BlackBelt upgrade program. Tech support is free, upgrades cost. But the Auto upgrades are frequent and to pro users of such complex and rich tools, it makes sense. Back-up and disk managment tools should never be that complex. wmc – via Autopilot!