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                             » FidoNet News «
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*** Area: OMAHA_AMIGA                             Date: 23 Dec 93 20:25:00
*** From: Lee Brittain (1:285/11.0)
*** To  : All
*** Subj: CD32

 Well after a few days of playing around with this machine I have a few
comments for everyone. I am really impressed with it. I think Commodore could
really hit home with this. Pinball Fantasies and Sleepwalker are included with
the console. Most of you already know about Pinball Fantasies but I didn't. I
am really stuck on this game. The colors are vibrant and the graphics are
sharp. Sleepwalker is pretty much shovelware. It's ok but that's about it. 
 
 I decided to buy a S-Video cable to see if it made a difference. Well I hadnt
had any use for the connector on my RCA 27" tv anyways. The difference is
quite pleasing. The colors have more luster and the very small text on the
Pinball fantasies is quite sharp and legible now. It's worth the bux to buy
one if you have the connector on your TV. 
 
 I have D/Generation and James Pond 2 on the way from AmigaMan. Should be here
the middle of next week. I really hope to see some games made specifically for
the CD32 soon. The AGA ports arent bad but it seems a shame to waste so much
disk space. =) 




*** Area: AMIGA                                   Date: 28 Dec 93 20:39:55
*** From: Jeff Grimmett (1:202/701.20)
*** To  : All
*** Subj: CD32 and CGW (JAN)

Interesting article in CGW this month, they focus in on the new wave of game
consoles, including the belle of the echo, the CD³². If this is old news to
you, hit "N" now :-)

The CD³² coverage was quite fair, IMO.  They payed suitable homage to the
Amiga for the fanatics out there :-) and focused in on a few of the games
available.  One very interesting comment: [paraphrased] Pinball Fantasies is
almost worth the price of the CD³² alone.  They DO have misgivings about
Commodore.  Heh.  Must already own an Amiga...

Also a first: they were one of the few magazines to call the CD-I what it was:
NOT CD-I, but a completely different machine.  Even the processor is
different.  Might shed a little light on why this machine is suddenly
receiving publicity, eh?

Of course, they did not just jump on the Amiga bandwagon and call the CD³² the
game machine of choice, as I would expect.  They rather expect the 3D0
architecture to run rampant, but leave open the possiblility that the CD-I
could take off on the basis of its support base alone (a very good
possibility).  However, they do not close the door on anything (except maybe
the Pioneer box). As they say, the next six months may likely change the
landscape completely.  We shall see :-)

Anyway, among all the doom/gloom out there from certain dark corners of the
small magellen clouds, I thought some folks might appreciate the fact that not
all of the mainstream press is ignoring developments, nor is the world at
large completely brain dead :-)

Jeff (Holder of the Seven Rings of Beta Testing)




*** Area: AMIGA                                   Date:  2 Jan 94  8:56:00
*** From: Jon Peterson (1:396/36.0)
*** To  : All
*** Subj: FFish 1000th Disk Fund

Here is the list of donors for the sixteenth week of the FFish
1000th Disk Anniv thingy.

* Individuals *

Jon Peterson
Matthew L. Schultz
Chris Nelson
Asha DeVelder
Marshall Freedland
Jeremy Friesner
Michael Phipps
Darrin & Lisa Zimmerman (Amiga Un-Sig of Southern Michigan)
Eric V. Peterson (Canada)
Eric Zimmer
Fred M. Hamilton
Michael Meredith (England)
David Jennings (Australia)
Gary Delzer
David Gomme
Rick Russell
Julla O. Kouppinen (Finland)
Gary Simpson
Robert Sudbury
Jon Peterson (Asha's FF1000th Auction Amiga Check Pin purchase)
Mark Baker
Michael Berg (Denmark)
Sam Worf
Douglas & Susan Blakeley
Richard A. Boedi (Germany
Jari Neiminen (Finland)

* Users Group Donations *

Gateway Amiga Club, Inc.
Abilene Amiga Users Group
Niagara Amiga (Users) Group N.A.G. (Canada)
New Orleans Commodore Klub Amiga Group
Ohio Valley AUG (A $147 donation from this Group - Big Thanks
  and a sincere Merry Christmas.)

* Company Donations *

Randhir J. Jesrani (CompuQuick Media Center, Columbus, OH)
Dale L. Larson (Intangible Assets Manufacturing, Drexel Hill,
PA) Intangible is a new company that has just released its' first
product by the name of Amiga Envoy. No further info available.
Dale? This gentleman also has challenged other companies that
have benefited from FFish's efforts to join the effort.

 ****************
Many thanks to Robert Glover for posting these messages
from FidoNet in the Amiga Report (latest issues 136 and 137).
The drive has gotten a number of donations/inquiries from Europe
and Australia because of that publication. (This is getting more
international..Where's Hong Kong etc.??)

Total donations as of 1/1/94 are $839.50.  Got a ways to go
folks to purchase the (?A4000T?) but the fund drive seems to be
picking up some steam. BTW, there is pretty reliable info
that FFish does in fact already own an A4000 (shoot!).
Suggestions? A CD32 looks to be the most popular alternative.
Please talk this up with all concerned (Amiga users) and pass
the word on to your Users Groups. If you haven't joined the
effort, slip that hand into the pocket and pull out some bucks,
put it into any envelope and send it in.  Let's show what the
Amiga community is all about. Check over some of the programs
you have benefited/are benefiting from.  Register them and/or
pitch in for FishFund. * Reminder to everyone PLEASE!!! Pass the
word at any Users Group meetings you attend. This is to be a
group effort on behalf of all the Amiga users throughout the
world. Please donate whatever you can afford - or even better -
what you honestly think FFish's work has been worth to you
through the years. Thanks. BTW, there have been some very
nice comments to/about FFish included in the envelopes with
donations.  As I have been saving these, think I will include
them along with the donation "pot"/A4000T when the time comes.
Happy New Year to all - let's make this the year of the Amiga.



                              » Portal News «
                                -----------

Joseph P. Laleman
November 4th, 1992

Gail Flicher
Commodore
Business Machines, Inc.
1200 Wilson Drive
West Chester, PA 19380

Dear Ms. Flicher,


        I spoke with you on two occasions last week concerning my
troubles with Gold Service.  Yesterday, November 3rd, 1992, I
received a call from a woman representing Mr. Silven Fix.  Mr.
Fix was the service person assigned to repair my 3000T.  I
informed the lady that you had authorized me to take my 3000T to
my local dealer last week and that it was now working fine.  The
lady informed me that Mr. Fix was trying hard to get in touch
with me.  The telephone number that I gave Bob at Gold Service as
a primary number is the same number in which you reached me on
two occasions.  The business has four telephone lines and a full
time secretary.  I am perplexed why Mr. Fix had so much
difficulty reaching me.  The secondary number listed with Bob is
my home number and someone is at that number after 4:30 P.M.
Monday through Friday.  Previous to our last conversation, Bob
had told me that Mr. Fix would call me immediately to arrange an
appointment to repair my 3000T.  "Immediately" turned out to be
three days later.

        The following is the progression of my experience with Gold
Service:

        Wednesday, October 21st, 1992 - I telephoned the Express
number to use Gold Service.  I discovered that I was supposed to
have received a Gold Service number and was given a number to
call to inquire about why I didn't receive it.  I hadn't given
the Gold Service much thought because I thought I was covered.  I
assumed that all I had to do was give my name and serial number
to receive the service.  I had a problem with the Gold Service
registration initially.  I purchased the 3000T with the Commodore
special $500 rebate offer in March 1992 and my dealer sent all
the proper documents.  I received a notice that Commodore hadn't
received the receipt of purchase to authorize the Gold Service.
The receipt was necessary for the special $500 rebate and I know
that my dealer received the money.  To expedite matters, my
dealer FAXed the documents to Commodore and I didn't hear another
word about Gold Service.  Unfortunately, on my initial call to
the Express number, I was given the wrong number to call to
inquire about the lack of Gold Service number.  The telephone
number I was given had been disconnected.  I again called the
Express number and received the proper telephone number.  After
my name and serial number were checked through the system, I was
informed that I had duplicate serial and Gold Service numbers
with someone else.  The pleasant lady told me that she would tag
the account and I would receive the necessary Gold Service
material.  I received the Gold Service material within two days.
I telephoned the Express number for the third time, gave them my
Gold Service number, explained my problem to Bob, and was told
that the new mother board would be sent the next day (Thursday)
because by this time it was late in the afternoon.  I made an
effort to check that all the information was correct.  Even
though I informed Bob that I had a duplicate Gold Service number,
he had the wrong name, wrong address, and wrong model of Amiga.
Someone would have received a mother board mysteriously FedXed
from Commodore if I hadn't double checked the information.  I was
informed by Bob that, upon receiving the part, someone would
contact me to arrange a time and date for the repair.  At this
point I thought the problem was solved.

        Friday, October 23rd, 1992 - As promised, I received the
mother board FedX directly from Commodore.  I made arrangements
at work so I would be available to meet the repair person, but
his call never came.  I telephoned my Amiga dealer to see if he
could install the part, but I was told to wait for Gold Service
and they would take care of it.

        Monday, October 26th, 1992 - After not hearing from Gold
Service, I telephoned to inform them that I had received the
mother board and inquire why I hadn't been contacted by a service
person.  I was told that Gold Service was waiting to hear from
Commodore and that they would get back to me.

        Wednesday, October 28th, 1992 - I discussed the problem of
inaction by Gold Service with my dealer, he agreed to inquire at
Commodore for me to see if something could be done to speed
things along.  I received a call from you.  You told me that my
dealer couldn't install the mother board, that I would hear from
Gold Service shortly and my problem would be resolved.  I did
receive a call from Bob and, after apologizing for the delay, he
assured me that a repair person would call and set a time to
service my 3000T.

        Friday, October 30th, 1992 - In the morning, I telephoned
Gold Service to inquire why I hadn't received a call and was told
that Bob was unavailable.  The man asked if I wanted to speak to
another representative.  I spoke with a lady and tried to explain
my situation in detail to give her an understanding of my
problem.  I had to repeatedly ask her to allow me to explain the
problem.  At one point in the conversation she misread the
starting and ending dates of my Gold Service coverage and tried
to tell me that I wasn't covered anymore.  The final time she
interrupt me she asked who I had spoken with before.  After
telling her "Bob," she said she would transfer me to him and must
have thought she had me on hold, because she said to someone,
"I've got a guy on the line and I don't know what he's talking
about."  The next moment I was hung up on.  I again called back
and spoke to another lady who informed me that I wasn't hung up
on.  They were having phone problems.  For some reason, Bob was
now available and he informed me that a Mr. Silven Fix would call
me immediately.  I explained my conversation with the lady that
wouldn't give me the courtesy of allowing me to explain my
problem.  He informed me that she was following proper procedure
and would have diagnosed the problem within 30 seconds, but he
would communicate my feelings on the matter.  I told Bob that I
felt my treatment was poor customer relations.  Even though just
the day before Bob had apologized for the problems associated
with my case, today he was abrupt seemed little concerned with
the way I was being treated.  The time was 11:00 A.M. central
time and I sat through my lunch hour waiting for the call from
Mr. Fix.  By late afternoon I had had enough abuse from the Gold
Service people and telephoned my dealer to find out how I could
contact you directly again.  I left a message on your voice mail
and you returned my call within an hour.  (Thank you for your
concern and action!)  You were not pleased with what I explained
to you about how I was being treated and allowed me to take my
3000T to my dealer and have it repaired.  If I was allowed to do
that a week earlier, I wouldn't have suffered the down time and
the abuse from Gold Service.

        Tuesday, November 3rd, 1992 - I  received a call from a
woman who wanted to set a time for Mr. Fix to repair my Amiga.  I
informed the lady that, after a week delay, you had authorized my
local dealer to install the mother board.

        I am a long term supporter and user of the Amiga.  I am one
of the charter members of my users group and have acted as
president.  I have done many presentations promoting the Amiga.
At one time I wrote for the Canadian Amiga based magazine Amigo
Times.  I have acted as a beta tester for software companies.  I
have two accelerated 2000's, a 3000UX, and a (of course) 3000T.
My machines are loaded with all the state of the art, top quality
devices I can afford.  I use all my Amigas for professional video
and 24 bit, single frame animation.  Essentially, much of my life
has been spent with Amigas.

        In the video business, I deal with time related problems
every day.  What I hate the most is to tell my client that I
can't be on time because of "technical difficulties."  The
customer wants the product delivered when promised.  I don't want
him to think that I am negligent and just using excuses of
equipment malfunctions to cover my own incompetence.  Gold
Service looks great on paper.  I thought that Gold Service would
help protect me from missing deadlines.

        I can chock my exposure to Gold Service up as an unpleasant
learning experience.  I understand that problems with
communication can arise and action may be delayed, but the series
of delays I experienced only shows that Gold Service doesn't
deliver what it promises.  In addition to not being reliable, the
Gold Service personnel treat people in a rude, bruque manner.  If
the personnel can't (or won't) take the time to understand what
the customer is telling them, the customer is treated as if he is
the problem or that he's just plain stupid!

        The only timely action I received was directly from
Commodore.  From my perspective, what would work well would be a
system where parts were shipped promptly to an authorized service
center and the dealer would install or repair the Amiga.  My
dealer said that he could never receive a part as fast as I did
through Gold Service.  The Gold Service people don't seem to have
much incentive to be prompt, where the dealer has an interest in
keeping his customer happy.  I bought my 3000T through my dealer
to receive a better quality of service and I got it.  My
purchases at my dealer benefit Commodore.  Gold Service doesn't
sell anything for Commodore.

        Ms. Flicher, I would like you to understand that I am not
criticizing you or Commodore.  Like many people I know, I have
been very encouraged by Commodore's efforts in developing the
Amiga.  With the technical and marketing efforts by people like
you, I feel that the Amiga has a fighting chance for survival.  I
know that Gold Service is a separate company that you have
contracted to do the work.  I think a better choice could have
been made to represent your service requirements.

        Thank you for allowing me to express my concern about Gold
Service.  I hope that I am an exception rather than a normal case
for Gold Service.


Sincerely,

Joseph P. Laleman


P.S.

        Since my 3000UX has an EtherNet card, I have been trying to
order three additional cards so I can network my Amigas together.
I have repeatedly been told from several sources that Commodore
is not shipping the cards even though they are available.  Is
there any way that I can get them?   Thanks again.