From: space2@hardy.u.washington.edu (Tim Oerting)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ti
Subject: Re: Geneve
Date: 23 Jul 92 03:04:48 GMT
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle

In article <661@frackit.UUCP> dave@frackit.UUCP (Dave Ratcliffe) writes:
>In article <1992Jul11.211651.25937@newshub.ariel.yorku.ca>, cs902117@ariel.yorku.ca (TONY D'ALFONSO) writes:
>> You mentioned Myarc has done more harm?  How?  By supplying a new compatible
>> machine which is up to snuff with some of today's machines?  
>
I can reply to this: They offered a good sounding product and then didn't give
any support to it. I bought the thing and it didn't work. What was the problem?
Well myarc told me that this "highly sensitive piece of equipment was not like
my TI and that it was likely that the power into it was 'dirty'", they recomm-
ended that I purchase surge protection device and filter. I bought a ~$15 one
and it still didn't work. answer: That just won't cut it, you need to buy one
of these $40 range super versions. (Ya right... Well ofcourse since I had expl-
ained the symptoms to them they knew their computer right? NOT!) So I buy this
and the piece of junk ofcourse still doesn't work. Now I've spent the cost of
the Geneve + 15 +40 + many long-distance "technical assistance" calls. Now I
call again and explain it all over for the umpteenth time. Answer: well If you
would have told us these symptoms to begin with we could have helped you, You
need a new card...but now that we've strung you along long enough we don't
have to fix it for you.

Well I bring in the head guy at Tenex and they have "high level" chats about the
situation, and I get the constant 'Call us back later in the week, we haven't
made any progress' for about a month. Finally Myarc will not budge their pos-
ition and won't fix their damn machine (unless I wan't too pay like half the
original price or some equally f*cked amount), so Tenex (because I was a good
customer with them) took it off my hands and refunded my money (minus a 25-30%
restocking fee -- like I had merely returned something I didn't want).

To end this story...sorry to bore those of you who are already enlightened to
the trouble of Myarc: I dropped out of the TI community altogether for many
years (just coming back now). And by the way, I have since gone over to IBM
and my 386 has had no problems with the 'dirty power' coming into my house. :>

>
>> By supplying a
>> Hard and Floppy disk controller?
>
>And never coming up with the promised tape interface software for
>streaming tape backups. Real handy haviong all those megabytes of
>software out there and no RELIABLE method for backing it up. 
>
>> Yes they may be expensive, but the products
>> do exist for those who want them.
>
>I wanted them. I bought them. I waited for things promised that never
>materialized. I sold them. 
>
>> Now they may have done harm to Geneve owners
>> as MicroPendium reports that because of their miserable customer service, they
>> are out of business.  
>
>MAY have done harm? I have a bulletin for you Tony. They did harm when
>they were IN business by selling product and then not providing the
>customer support they promised. Myarc died of suicide and apathy. RIP
>and I hope Lou remembers all those broken promises. They did harm by
>taking ages to repair and/or upgrade customer units they had in their
>hands. Time denied the customers who had sent their cards back in good
>faith for expected service. They did harm by not giving a damn about the
>people whose money they collected while delivering empty promises.

Here Here!!!! I fully agree!
>
>
>> I have never had the "pleasure" to deal with Myarc, so I can't say anything
>> from personal experience with the company, other than what I have heard second
>> hand.  But as an owner of a Geneve, I am happy with the machine. 
>
>If you own a Geneve you've done business with Myarc. What revision level

And let me add that unless your a masochist you certainly didn't enjoy it!

>
>Lou had a good idea, a fairly well designed machine and a receptive
>customer base to work with. In the process of doing business he made
>promises he couldn't keep, hired a used car salesman to sell computers
>(does anyone remember Alabama Jack?), juggled stock "Computer Fest
>Answers" like a pro and consistantly overestimated his capabilities. He
>had a dream that turned into a nightmare. The problem was he didn't
>appear to want to admit to himself that he was in trouble and kept on
>doing business as usual. I was a supporter of Lou when I initially got
>my HFDC, then a Geneve to use it with. When I had problems with the HFDC
>#3 hard drive port the first time I asked him about it at a show in
>Virginia. He told me he expected to have the fix for it "... in 2 or 3
>weeks" (stock answer #26). Over a year later there was still no fix from
>Myarc. Phone calls brought nothing but busy signals all day. When the
>phone finally started ringing in the afternoon it was never answered. So
>much for customer service. I stopped being a supporter of Myarc and
>began to be sorry I had spent my $$$ on their product. What good is a
>computer if you can't get help from the manufacturer with a defect? 
>
>If the Geneve EVER becomes a popular and well supported machine it will
>not be because of anything Lou and Myarc did. It will be because of what
>the OWNERS of 9640 and HFDC's did to make up for Myarc's shortcomings. 
>
>Good luck to all who toil at doing what Myarc failed to do. I hope you
>are all successful.
>
>
>-- 
> ...uunet!wa3wbu!frackit!dave -or-                       |  Dave Ratcliffe  |
> frackit!dave@uunet.UU.NET -or- dave@frackit.uucp -or-   |  Sys. <*> Admin. |
> eds1!compnect!frackit!dave@psuvax1.psu.edu              | Harrisburg,  Pa. |
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