X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL11]
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.win3-l
Date:         Wed, 23 Dec 1992 12:58:23 MET
From:         "Jan Q. Janssens" <jqjansse@VUB.AC.BE>
Subject:      Re: Anyone know the features of PCPlus/Win 2.0??
              De

Conrad J. Sabatier writes:
>
> >Can anyone summarize the upgrades to PCPlus/Win 2.0 from version 1?  I'd
> >really appreciate it.  Please e-mail me or post whichever you prefer.
> >
> >Dave
>
> As far as I know, there's no such animal!  Datastorm HAS released
> a maintenance upgrade (MAINT1.EXE, I believe available on CICA),
> that provides a few bug fixes and such for Version 1.0, and
> updates the version number to 1.1.
>
> Conrad

No!  The version number after the maint1.exe upgrade is 1.01, at least for
the U.S. version of the program.  There's also is an European version, the
E.C. version.  In general this version is an adaptation of the 1.01 U.S.
version; as far as I understand the main differences are in the supported
terminals area.  The funny (?) thing is that the E.C. version itself also
has a maint1.exe upgrade that brings the program to version number 1.02. And
this version itself already has some patches (ewpat102.exe).

Of course you can't mix maint1.exe programs nor patches between versions!

The main problem I personally have is that, after:

   1. being sold the U.S. version here in Europe,
   2. one series of patches and one maintenance upgrade on the U.S. version,
   3. a swap to the E.C. version,
   4. one maintenance upgrade and one series of patches on the E.C. version,

I am still unable to use the top row of my Belgian keyboard and certain
diacritical keys in the normal way you would expect from a Windows program.
Datastorm Technologies is aware of the problem, especially the U.K. subsidi-
ary, but they haven't a solution yet.

To get where I am now I faxed 4 times to the U.S. and two times to the U.K.,
I made several phone calls to the U.K. subsidiary and I downloaded lots of
software from the U.S. and U.K. Datastorm BBSs at 2400 bps!  If I take the
time this has cost me into account I fear I've spent about ten times the
retail value of the program (I payed the equivalent of about 160 US$) up
until now.  I am still waiting for the E.C. version serial number to arrive
so that I can legalise my current installation (of course, the serial number
of the U.S. version isn't accepted by the E.C. version's installation pro-
gram) and return the U.S. version diskettes.

As you can see this has become a matter of principle now.  I like this program
very much, I think it's very powerfull and I use it all the time, but things
aren't entirely as they should be.  If you insist a bit Datastorm Technology's
employees are very cooperative and reasonably friendly and knowledgeable: you
have to bang on the table from time to time, though.

As for the keyboard problems, they blame Microsoft for changing the conventions
for the handling of the keyboard scan codes by Windows applications in the
time period between the start of the development of Procomm Plus for Windows
and the final release of Windows (3.0, 3.1?)...

To whom it may concern, some phone numbers:

   1. U.S.

      fax:          +1 314 875 0595
      BBS:          +1 314 875 0503
      Tech Support: +1 314 875 0530
      Main Office:  +1 314 443 3282

   2. U.K.

      fax:          +44 223 423 229
      BBS:          +44 223 424 313
      Voice:        +44 223 421 606

Sorry for the long posting, but I think it's informative enough.

Jan.

P.S.: My Xmas holiday begins in a couple of hours, so it might take a couple
      of days (or even weeks) before I can react again.  Feel free to do that
      anyway, I'm keeping my mailbox open... :-)

--

Jan Q. Janssens

Brussels Free University (V.U.B.)            Tel.: + 32 2 3590289 (voice)
Sciences Faculty                                   + 32 2 3590399 (fax)
Institute for Molecular Biology
Biochemistry Department
Paardenstraat 65
B-1640 Sint-Genesius-Rode                    (EARN/BITNET : jqjansse@BBRBFU60)
Belgium                                      Internet : jqjansse@vub.ac.be
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU