From: sears@tree.egr.uh.edu (Paul S. Sears)
Subject: Re: Mathematica- can't get our passwords
Reply-To: sears@tree.egr.uh.edu
Organization: University of Houston
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 13:04:36 GMT

In article <20724@plains.NoDak.edu> enders@bolshoi.cc.misu.NoDak.edu (Todd  
Enders) writes:
=>Bill Smith writes
=>> We have 8 new stations in our lab just sitting there because we can't
=>> get Mathematica passwords from Wolfram so we can make them available
=>> to our students to do their lab work.  We have been waiting for 3 weeks!
=>> We have sent email and called but we just get put off.  Is there some
=>> problem between NeXT and Wolfram that they can't get their record act
=>> together?  Anybody else got the run around on this issue?  I wish NeXT
=>> had retained distribution for academic users.  
=>
=>     Funny you should mention this...  I got off the phone with an  
individual
=>at Wolfram just today.  Sine I finally had enough room to install my copy
=>of Mathematica, I fired up MathInstaller (this under NS 3.0), filled out the
=>registration form and clicked the e-mail button.  Absolutely nothing  
happened!
=>So, I punched up the Password installer and followed the directions about
=>where to call, what to have ready, etc.  Called the number.  This is the
=>gist of the conversation:
=>
=>     Wolfram:  Hello, Wolfram.
=>     Me: Yes, I'd like to get the password to activate my copy of  
Mathematica
=>         on the NeXT.
=>     Wolfram:  Do you have e-mail or fax?
=>     Me:  I tried the e-mail option in MathInstaller, and it doesn't seem to
=>          work under NeXTSTEP 3.0.
=>     Wolfram:  Well, if you fax us the registration, we'll send the password
=>               out to you in 1-2 business days.
=>     Me:  Well, I don't have the registration form here at the office right
=>          now...  Can't I get the password over the phone?
=>     Wolfram:  If you e-mail or fax us the registration, we'll get the 
=>               pasword to you in 1-2 business days.
=>     Me:  But the e-mail option in MathInstaller doesn't seem to work with  
the
=>          new release of the NeXT OS.

This has never worked.  This is not a bug caused by the OS but a design flaw  
in the MathInstaller application.

=>(flame on!)
=>
=>     Why in hell does Wolfram say that you can get the password over the  
phone
=>*in the documentation* but refuse to give you one when you call???  Why  
don't
=>they seem to care that the e-mail option of MathInstaller seems broken under
=>NS 3.0???  Is this supposed to be customer service???  My employer probably
=>wouldn't appreciate my spending the department's money sending a fax for
=>personal business.  I really wanted to do some things with my Mathematica  
over
=>the weekend.  Now, I'm left wondering if Wolfram gives a flying fart about
=>their users (or is it just NeXT users).
=>

Yes they do.  However, they are a small company and they do have their bad  
days.

=>(flame off)
=>

First, there is a known bug in the MathInstaller that prevents the delivery of  
registration form via email.  What you can do is to email it yourself.  The  
file is created in /tmp and is called math.register and math.support.  Just  
email those to register@wri.com.  Or you could print those out and fax them.  

=>     (*sigh*) I wish there was an easier way to get Mathematica up and
=>running.
=>
=>Todd
=>Computer Center      enders@bolshoi.uucp     NeXTmail gratefully accepted!

I have registered 50 copies of Mathematica 2.0.x during the past 6 months.  In  
general WRI has been very prompt and helpful.  I have had some very timely  
responses (less than 2 hours!!) and I have also experienced some delays (3-5  
days).  Since Mathematica is tied to the hostid, a password cannot be  
generated until they have that information, which the user must provide.  If  
the information the user provides is inaccurate, then there are delays.  I  
have to admit that it is a flaw for WRI to choose just one method of  
licensing, although it is the kind of licensing which benefits large clusters  
of workstations and one which we particularly like.  Things might be alittle  
better if they provided a provision for temporary passwords that last a few  
days so you can use Mathematica while your copy is getting officially  
registered.
--
Paul S. Sears                *  sears@uh.edu (NeXT Mail OK)
The University of Houston    *  suggestions@tree.egr.uh.edu (NeXT
Engineering Computing Center *  comments, complaints, questions)
NeXT System Administration   *  DoD#1967 '83 NightHawk 650SC 
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