VP/ix could be good...

[Mark J. Bailey]

In article <5980005 at hplsla.HP.COM>, jeffh at hplsla.HP.COM (Jeff Harrell) writes:
> 
>     I WANT to use VP/ix! I like VP/ix! But, damm, is it gonna get fixed?
> I started with the controlled release under XENIX 2.2.1 and now have
> VP/ix 1.1 with XENIX 2.3.1.  My 30 day free support (following the 
> controlled release) is near it's end- AM I STUCK WITH THIS MESS...

I AGREE!  When *IS* it going to get fixed?  With the price that SCO charges
for the product (a commercial $$$), shouldn't we expect more results?  
Shouldn't we hear something from SCO and Interactive Systems as to what 
progress is being made?  I have had my 1.1 release of VP/ix since September
and, while a big improvement over the Controlled Release, it still is
extremely choppy and prone to failure.  

For instance, if I am running an application, tell it to print, then go
and P)rinter Flush, my keyboard either locks in the SHIFT mode or it ignores
the function keys UNTIL I hit a few buttons like NUM LOCK or switch to
another virtual terminal and back again (you know, ALT-F2, etc.).  This 
happened on another system I know of.  This doesn't happen everytime, 
but with all the key pounding I have to do to get it to work, my colleagues
are less forgiving and persistent and give up when it locks up.   They 
then insist I boot the DOS partition so they can get their work done
without the interruptions of VP/ix.  They are NOT computer oriented people.
They know enough to run their particular application, and that is *ALL*
they WANT to know.  They should not have to put up with this, especially
for the amount paid and the way SCO presented VP/ix.

Don't get me wrong, I think VP/ix is a wonderful concept and I really like
the program.  But I MUST be critical of the fact that SCO is marketting
the product as a commercial piece of software, and it just doesn't deliver.
It comes close (sometimes), but for the applications I need to run on it,
close doesn't work at all, so for me, it is lost money.

My point is, shouldn't we expect and see more from SCO in terms of getting
VP/ix whipped into shape???  I am afraid that unless they get on the ball,
future versions will be so heavily scrutinized by people that some won't
even want to take the risk of buying is ($$$$) and finding that can't do
the job for them.  I mean, why else buy it at that price?  Would you spend
$500 for a DOS word processor that had the reliability factor of VP/ix
and use it for processing law documents for law firm or a city court?

SCO, please tell us what is going on!  They should either change their
posture on VP/ix, OR get the thing updated and fixed in a much more timely
manner and keep us updated at to where they are at.  Some of
us who bought the product last Spring are *STILL* waiting for SCO to
come through.  Like I said, it is a great product idea, but would YOU
run it in a commercial office environment?  Isn't that what SCO has in 
mind?

Sorry this got so long, but you know how it is.... ;-)

Mark.

-- 
Mark J. Bailey                                    "Y'all com bak naw, ya hear!"
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