#GVP
30 messages in this thread
Actually, developing for other platforms is not something to criticise. People
need to eat, and companoes need expanded markets to grow. But abandoning a
platform, the one that weaned you, is a horse of a different color …
DJ
Autopilot 1.80 by Steve Ahlstrom
From Queens, where the ice cream melts in your heart …
They didn't abandone anything. Thye shipped me an updated ROM chip about three
days befor ethey went under. That's pretty good support in my book. Wish they
were still here.
C. Davey
-> Actually, developing for other platforms is not something to criticise.
People need to eat, and companoes need expanded markets to grow.
I agree.
-> But abandoning a platform, the one that weaned you, is a horse of a
different color …
How did GVP "abandon" the Amiga? By making ONE IBM/clone genlock compared
to the FIFTY or more Amiga items over the life of the company?
It's not that they started to make PC products, but their Amiga support was
always iffy, and minimal at the end, even before they had real money problems.
And they always used deliberately nonstandard parts, just to stick it to their
users.
Mr. Zombie
-> their Amiga support was always iffy, and minimal at the end, even before
they had real money problems.
I found that if you'd keep after them you WOULD get answers. Granted,
that's not a glowing review but I'd hardly say they abandoned the Amiga market.
As for them using nonstandard parts, well, they aren't the only hardware
manufactures to do that.
I never said that GVP was perfect but I don't think they deserve some of the
harsher flak they have received.
Well… I liked the DSS8+, but not the software. Their consistant RAM shaft
really bugged me, and therefore I never bought their accelerators. They
weren't devils, but they were hardly the kind of company I would have liked.
Suppose that goes for most.
Mr. Zombie
Did you get the DSS8+ upgrade? The software improved quite a bit!
I assume the "RAM shaft" you're talking about is the fact that GVP
accelerators only use GVP's custom RAM simms. GVP said they did this because
quality of "standard" simms varied so greatly.
I didn't get the DSS8+ software upgrade to v3, because by that time I'd
acquired an Ad516. <G> And now I've sold the DSS8+. I liked that unit a
lot–nothing wrong there–and from what I hear the new software makes it about
the best 8bit solution around, except for the Ad516, which does a lot more than
just 8bit recording. ;^)
That is what I meant about the RAM shaft, and it's the biggest quibble I had
with them–I mean, come on, that excuse is lame-o. And also, if you recall
Erik Flom's story, their G-Force for the 3000 requires all the latest custom
chips–like Ramsey and so on–but they said nothing up front.
Mr. Zombie
(the) "G-Force for the 3000 requires all the latest custom chips….but
they said nothing up front."
A few more details:
I FAX them an urgent request for information about why my 3000 is randomly
locking up with their new 40MHz 040 installed. (No potential problems were
mentioned in the manual…..)
TWO AND A HALF WEEKS later, I receive a letter in the mail telling me to
replace the RAMSEY.
After calling 5-15 chip vendors (at my expense), I find one that has a
RAMSEY for _only_ $50+s/h. It arrives in an anti-static bag held shut with
a GVP seal…..
My machine _still_ locks up. This time, GVP actually faxes me back, and I
get my fax/modem going in time to capture their latest message.
_NOW_, they say that their product is so 'superior' that it brings out
'hidden problems' with the older chips in the A3000. The latest
recommendation is to "replace _ALL_ your custom chips." At least they were
nice enough to give me a couple of phone numbers for some dealers in
Australia. (Gee, Thanks!)
After a few months, I locate a new WD SCIS chip, and throw that in….
No effect.
After another month, and $20-30 in long distance phone bills, I _give up_
trying to find the chip. Finally, someone points me to a guy selling
SuperDMACs. I get one, install it, and everything works great!
Of course I couldn't rely on the system for over a year, and it cost me
around $200 (plus tearing the case apart 3 times) to get it
working……..
And another story about GVP:
Their A2000 series SCSI controllers are the flakiest pieces of junk I've
ever used! Non-standard termination, bass-ackwards implimentation, you
name it, it screwed it up.
Unfortunately, since _every_ client I ever worked for had a GVP SCSI
controller, I got to know and love many of them. }:^)
Erik Flom
I've had 2 series-II controllers from GVP and they always worked great(they
also used standard simm chips). My GForce 040/33 has worked like a charm
(SCSI-II controller included) and the reason it uses their own simms is because
they are 60 nanosecond and at the time those were hard to find. You must
remember that these boards were designed several years ago and at the time the
A3000 still had bugs in it(Commodores fault, not GVP's) If I rember right, the
pc-clones all used non-standard memory, peripherals, cards. etc. Give some
credit where credit is due. If you are mad then be mad at Mehdi Ali and Irving
Gould and when the new owner(whoever that will be) gets the Amiga rolling
again, then express your complaints and desires. Until then may your Amiga
never Guru.
….Via Autopilot and Gforce 040/33. //
…Only Amiga makes it possible \\/
-> I didn't get the DSS8+ software upgrade to v3, because by that time I'd
acquired an Ad516.
I don't know anything about Ad516 but the DSS8+ v3 was a great upgrade!
I read Erik's story and he has my full sympathy. I also have some sympathy
for GVP. Remember, this was a kitchen table company that sunk just about
everything in the future of the Amiga and lost. My guess is that GVP's service
would have gotten better if the Amiga got stronger and more competition entered
the market.
Was GVP perfect? Heck no. Erik Flom's story is evidence of that (I have a
story myself) and their ideas on SCSI termination is based more on magic than
fact but I hardly think GVP deserves SOME of the slamming they have gotten
here. There have been messages in this forum (not yours) that practically
accuse GVP of being run by the anti-Christ.
Well, I hardly think they were run by the anti-Christ, <g>, but I was never
over-fond of them. Sure, I have some sympathy–it's tough when your platform's
sole maker dies. And some of their products were great. I have personal
experience testifying that the DSS8+ is a really first rate product, and the
software upgrade, from what I've heard, probably makes it one of the best 8 bit
solutions ever made for a personal computer, but they also did a lot of wierd,
stupid, selfish things, like the memory scheme and their wacko ideas of
termination. And towards the end their tech support was just ludicrous.
Mr. Zombie
Paul: I have a couple of GVP products in my 4000 and I'm quite happy with them,
the EGS Spectrum and I/O Extender. Although I'll be getting a different
graphics board soon, the Spectrum has done a great job with the Emplant
emulation and makes using the Amiga with a 256 color Workbench a joy. And the
I/O Extender does a great job of providing fast serial and parallel port
requirements. Yep, I didn't care for some of GVP's customer service decisions,
but I think everyone will miss their hardware support.
// John (Warp 4040 & Emplant Quadra 840)
\X/ Mercury@ins.infonet.net
-> And towards the end their tech support was just ludicrous.
And thereby hangs the tale. I think the meager tech support for those 6 to
8 months before they shut their doors is what soured a lot of people. It seems
to me they could have closed up shop a year ago or do what they did which was
cut overhead (no new product development, layoffs, minimal tech support, etc.)
in hopes this MESS we knew as Commodore got straightened out. I'm glad they
chose the latter route even if it didn't save them.
Inspite of their mistakes they took chances and filled nitches in the Amiga
market that no one dared touch. I'm glad there was a ballsy company like GVP
around.
I guess it's a question of perspective about tech support. I can understand
company troubles and all. But what bugs me most is their RAM scheme–OK, I'm
willing to buy the argument for their early boards, but nowadays and for a
while standard SIMMs have been plentiful and reliable.
Mr. Zombie
I think they knew that they were on their way out for about the last year, and
felt that what they did was the most honorable way to leave.
dale@iam.com http://www.iam.com
Intangible Assets Manufacturing
My GVP stuff works fine, except the printer has to be on anytime I start a
program that needs it . Seems like a quirk in 040/33's Paralell port, didnt
happen whwen it was new…. My SCSI seems to work fine with my HPscanner, and a
bernoulli drive….what, problems are there??
I tried to get the DSS8+ software upgrade but I was unsuccessful. I tried in
December but it wasn't available yet. I was out of the country for January and
February. When I returned at the beginning of March, I tried to find out
through the AmigaVendor forum if it was available but never got a reply. Then
I learned that GVP was gone.
Do you know where I could get the software upgrade?
Usenet: Ernie_Gorrie@mindlink.bc.ca
Port Coquitlam, BC, Canada
Have you tried there bbs?
610-337-5815
My understanding is that the GVP BBS is no longer operational. Is this not the
case? If so, do you have their number?
Usenet: Ernie_Gorrie@mindlink.bc.ca
Port Coquitlam, BC, Canada
Maybe I haven't been clear enough. GVP is gone, fini, no more, ceased to be,
(and other "Parrot sketch" phrases)… so trust me, there is no BBS or anything
else for that matter.
I dont know dude I was on their BBS Thursday April 13th. Lots of files
there!!!!!
>>Maybe I haven't been clear enough. GVP is gone, fini, no more, ceased to be,
(and other "Parrot sketch" phrases)… so trust me, there is no BBS or anything
else for that matter.<<
As a matter of fact, there BBS is operational as of 4-18-95
-Peter
As mentioned in previous post:
GVP BBS – 610-337-5815
-Peter
I don't believe that GVP used "nonstandard" parts to "stick it to the
users." Many, if not most manufacturers use "non standard" parts.
CBM used nonstandard parts to stick it to buyers? (Memory chips for the
3000 were nowhere close to industry "standard".) When they put IDE in the
4000 everybody bitched.
– Alex…. Still Whap!'n after all these years
Well, whatver went through GVP's heads, while C= did plenty of hinky things,
they weren't the only supplier of ZIPs and IDE drives, while GVP was pretty
much the only supplier of GVP-style SIMMs.
Mr. Zombie
The Amiga has never been the most high profit platform computer for a
manufacturer to build for. Perhaps GVP was able to stay in business a bit
longer and come out with additional products by being able to get a little more
profit out of the RAM for their products. As a dealer, I found them to be more
professional than many of the Amiga developers and I applaud them for staying
with the Amiga as long as they did. Commodore was never easy for their
developers to work with. I think the develpers who chose to create for the
Amiga despite Commodore should be worthy of respect, even if it is begrudgingly
given.
Nancy Y. Doss
Leslie, I wasn't actually targeting GVP with that comment, but companies like
Gold Disk. When you add up GVP's history, they definitely stack up better than
well.
DJ
Autopilot 1.80 by Steve Ahlstrom
From Queens, where the ice cream melts in your heart …