Interface - support for producers of "iron" their "creations" after they (the creatures) get into the hands of users.

<b>Interface</b> - support for producers of

     (C) Steel Rat / C.P.U.


                LIFT

         (Support for pants)


     And they went, the sun palimye ...


     The above article is purely subjective opinion and please 
do not throw me rotten tomatoes (this applies primarily to 
producers Spectrum hardware and, in particular,

to firms SCORPION and NEMO).

     It's about supporting the manufacturers of the hardware of 
their "creations" after they (the creatures) get into the hands 
users. 

     Until recently, until the "gadgets" to our beloved SPECCY 
were not so clever and repaired or

refined using a soldering iron, pile
simple circuits, resistors, and a few kilometers "noodles" to 
live it was still possible. But with the advent of the matrices 
and ALTERA high-tech printed circuit boards, repair, and 
sometimes becomes impossible. A as we prepare wonderful 
discoveries ... connection still works to your computer! AND

now, when so SPECCY barely climbs uphill progress, producers
Hardware should already be thinking about the support
their products after their sale, or
SPECCY market situation could deteriorate even more. Since the 
beginning I mentioned two major manufacturer, we will start in 
sequence. 


     Company SCORPION


     Sure - the leader in the production of
computers and peripherals for them. But, despite all the desire 
for a civilized market (price lists, advertisements, discounts, 
copyright protection, etc.), support users virtually none at 
all, but on the marketing policy of this company, even

do not want to say - the price is clearly too high,
too much cheating on the postal service, again there is no 
support. If you have "Zamorochki when you connect or work

with products of this company, you can not expect help from 
them - do not wait. Well, the maximum get the runaround, whose 
meaning - "the very a fool. "Well, if you" Charite "in the 
hardware, but if you're just a user who does not know all the 
intricacies of the computer, but want to be consistent with the 
time machine, there could only hope for friends and 
acquaintances who are able to keep the soldering iron in his 
hands. But even the presence of these artisans are now no 
longer rescues (See above). A living example is the recent 
upgrade of my computer. Briefly about my system:


     - Board SCORPION ZS-256 1994 of release (yellow, Rom 2.95);

     - ProfPZU version 3.9f (1997);

     - Expander bus for three peripherals;

     - Controller PC - keyboard and mouse;

     - Controller SMUC;

     - FDD 5.25 "and 3.5";

     - HDD 170MB;

     So, while I was set
only one controller keyboard and mouse
everything was normal, but with the purchase SMUC
was a question about the expander bus. Bought.
And it began ... Separately controllers
Keyboard and SMUC with ProfPZU work without
problems, but need only to put the extender (even without a 
peripheral board) - the computer hangs. You change your ROM to 
the "old" (V. 2.95) - works without problems, even with

three cards. What's the problem - is unclear. Whether ProfPzu 
buggy, whether expander bus. But individually all works! In 
short, pick your charter computer, wrote a letter Zonov. Reply

received a month and a half, and read it
"You do not have revision indicated on the
page 2 in the description of the controller SMUC ".
That is, those on-ones I had written a letter to all
characteristics of the system and what I did (!)
this revision. I am writing another letter, the answer is 
waiting until now been three months and I feel that it will 
not. Of course, difficult to "cure" at a distance, but at least

out of courtesy could answer
letter. Here you have all the support of users. And I'm still 
"jump" to these cards. When I need a "screw" - stick the card 
SMUC, and when the need a keyboard and a mouse - a map of these 
devices, as SMUC only works with ProfPZU. That such

Here are perverted! And now think that the same
will happen to my computer, if purchased from
Zonova GMX and insert it instead of the CPU! Br-rr, the horror!


     Company NEMO


     In contrast, SCORPION, nothing bad about this office can 
not tell you (if you do not take into account that General 
Sound "Goes" I have a half months, but I hope it comes). With 
this company I have encountered when they ordered the 
controller KEMPSTON-Mouse. What We Liked - the price is much 
lower, "skorpionovskih" (sometimes 30%), there is no mail 
"nakrutok" speedy delivery of orders (in practice

always within a month). Now, regarding support. There has been 
I have such an incident: when working KEMPSTON-Mouse cursor 
"Galloping" through vertical pixels. Wrote a letter, the answer 
came in just a a couple of weeks (and it is, you really believe 
me, very quickly). The letter detailed scheme

controller with an indication of where you want to make a 
revision and a detailed description of all possible causes of 
the defect. Naturally, I was able to lead controller "In the 
sense of" a few minutes ... 


     That's right, now think for whom to
will have more confidence after that.
Although the SCORPION is a leader in the development of 
hardware, but personally I try to fly as far as possible from 
NEMO. 

     By purchasing one of the last rooms
Computerra, I once again stumbled upon a message of lower 
prices for memory chips, and indeed PC - Shnogh Hardware in 
general. And came up with the bad idea: "Why in the world 
prices of computers falling, and our SPECCY everything becomes 
more expensive and more expensive? "This is especially 
considerably on the price of firm SCORPION. Not would say that 
our favorite computer progresses ... Then what is it? Now

y Zonova SCORPION in finished form is
about $ 1000. For this money you can
buy a used "four" with the monitor into the bargain, or "six 
hundredth" Amiga. A that it can do SCORPION, which can not 
Amiga or RS386? Why such bells and whistles in price? For 
example, take KAY-256: as he was worth two years ago, 250 rubles

(The cost of the board; fee SCORION 'and is
400), and now stands, hence the price falls, why is becoming 
more expensive SCORION? It's all on the Khrenovoe status in the 
market SPECCY! 

     If you take the cost of production,
I do not think that the production of the same
KAY 'I'm cheaper production SCORPION' as well.
Hence the price of the last there is much
profits. And suffer from it all, as
a potential user will think, think and say "yes fuck me this
SCORPION for such money, better dig, but to buy some stump 
used. "So much for market development. 

     A similar story happened to AMIGA,
too "wound" prices discouraged
users of this wonderful, in my opinion, cars, and with such 
dominance PC, try to guess from three times to letting your 
foot wants to buy computer? Correct to the nearest store that 
sells PC and his ilk. I do not have anything against the PC, 
the platform is evolving, and eventually her entire glyuchnost 
will be eliminated. With such marketing market policies will 
gradually SPECCY turn up, what happened to him and going the 
last two years, and yet all can be changed, it would wish. 

     The price of motherboards and peripherals
should be much lower. And then we get
such a situation in which the cost
boards for Pentium is approaching to
value to the cards SCORPION (if more accurate to say - they are 
closer together, since the first "fall" and the second 
"grows"), and this already suggests the melancholy thoughts.


     And another problem. All produced
is now fee (SCORPION and KAY) are not suitable for standard 
(geometric) at Housing for the PC-compatible computers.

"Well!" - Say - "We do not PC!"
The fact that now get housing
for SPECCY (at least from the Corvette) has been
much more complicated than the RS and, hence,
need to really think about the standard arrangement of nests, 
slots, and power connectors on the motherboard (or even better 
just do a standard ATX, and then continuously whip in the tail 
of the progress with the devil What connectors, and each own). 
The only achievement in this area, in my, it's "legitimization" 
of Recently, the standard on the bus, and then not

to the end, because the bus is clearly not enough
something which signals and stresses.

     Grab the latest price of Zonova,
saw a price increase on the GMX (which is still
and produced not even started), what
here to say I do not think there will be many
wanting to buy CEE miracle for such money
(Knowing in addition glyuchnost some of the latest products, 
tested by personal experience : -).


     Hi everyone who knows me. Those who wish to discuss this 
topic, or just to chat, write to the magazine ADVENTURER for 
STEEL RAT. 

     I warn you again - it personally
my opinion and please do not judge very harshly.


     P. S. Even after writing this
article, I still received a letter from Zonova read: "... 
unfortunately we can not determine fault for your letter and 
please send payment, ProfPZU and expander bus ... "Whew!

Maybe not so bad. Although time
show.