Re: IBM Support

[whittle@chaph.usc.edu (Randy Whittle)]

At 1:50 AM 11/21/95, Christopher Cunningham wrote:

>I would like to make a suggestion on behalf of a large number of
>ThinkPad users who have access to the Internet although not
>necessarily through Compuserve.  I would like to suggest that IBM
>release software updates to its ftp/Web site with the same degree of
>timeliness that it releases software to the Compuserve support forum.
>Most recently, IBM has released Win95 MWAVE drivers on Compuserve but
>failed to put them on the ftp/Web site (it is also interesting to note
>that IBM also releases software updates to Compuserve before posting
>on its own dialup BBS).

        I just thought I'd ad a couple of pennies in here...  :)

        You and the list may or may not be aware of this, but basically
everytime someone logs into Compu$erve and goes to the IBM forum--IBM makes
a little chunk of change.  For *very* many companies, Compuserve is a
profit center--a little money machine.  Compuserve splits a portion of the
fee to the companies with forums on Compuserve, because they know when
people go into those forums, that is the reason for calling Compuserve in
the first place.

        Given this information, its not particularly rational for IBM to
steer anyone to its BBS or an FTP site--the bottom line is that they make a
buck when you dial in to Compuserve.  I'm sure they'd prefer that you call
Compuserve!

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Randy Whittle    whittle@usc.edu               |       WWW Hope Page:     |
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