It is certainly true that I did not exhaustively search your
site -- nor should one have to, for this basic information!
I clicked on "Version 2.0 Available Now" (which page's many
Windows-like display screens led me to suspect it was not a
Mac product) and "Ordering Information".
At "Ordering Information" I did not think "Software Licence
Agreement" would be appropriate (wrongly, as you now inform me),
but I checked out "Information Request Form" -- thinking I
could request information from you, but it turned out to be
useful only for your requesting information from me. Now that
I look more closely, I see there is a pop-up menu at the
heading "Type of Organisation:" which says "Commercial (£219)"
and can be clicked to reveal "Academic (£109)." I did overlook
that on my first pass through. I'm sorry.
After receiving your mail (below), I also checked out "Software
Licence Agreement" and, after 7 page-down clicks through the
contractual fine print, in the "Annex 1" license agreement form,
I finally encountered "Windows 95/98/NT4.0" and, another page-click
down, the two prices explicitly and clearly stated.
As for "the Advanced Technology section," I can't find that term on
your home page -- perhaps it's buried in a level further down.
As a purely private person, I don't consider Microsoft to be the
standard for user-friendliness or customer service. However,
I acknowledge that from a seller's point of view they may have
set the bar de facto.
Thank you for your prompt response to my concerns.
Eleanor Olds Batchelder
>Thank you for your criticisms, however I believe you have made
>your judgements rather rapidly with little supporting evidence.
>The information that you complain about missing is clearly available
>through our pages. I will point them out to you: On our page, under the
>Advanced Technology section, it clearly states and has always stated:
> with versions available under Microsoft Windows and UNIX
>
>under Ordering Information on the licence agreement, it clearly states
>the platorm for which that agreement is made:
> Windows 95/98/NT4.0
>along with the price.
>
>This price information again occurs in the System Quirk information
>request form.
>
>Other applications outlined, such as the Tracker and ColloQator are
>platform independent in so much as the run on any platform with a
>corresponding Java Virtual Machine.
>
>While we endeavour to satisfy as many people as possible, indeed everyone
>who has so far ordered System Quirk has reported no problems with
>the structure of our site, we realise it is impossible to give information
>to everyone in the form that they might like it.
>
>Companies such as Microsoft certainly do not make their information so
>freely available. It is possible they consider it bad marketing practice
>to do so.
>
>I hope I have managed to alleviate your confusion.
>
>Best regards,
>
>Mr Lee Gillam
>System Quirk Support
>
>> Dear Mr./Ms. Gillam:
>>
>> You don't give any information about cost (free?) or platform (Mac?).
>> So I go to the Web page, but incredibly neither piece of information
>> is there either, just a request for a great deal of information from
>> *me*!
>>
>> No thanks!
>>
>> Eleanor Olds Batchelder
>>
>>
>> >System Quirk Language Engineering Workbench Version 2.0 now available.
>> >
>> >Version 2.0 is fully 32-bit and furthers our commitment to providing
>> >low cost, high quality applications to language workers worldwide.
>> >
>> >For further details, visit our website at:
>> > http://www.mcs.surrey.ac.uk/SystemQ
>> >
>> >Also available at this site:
>> > Text Summarisation Java applet
>> >
>> > Text Alignment Server application and Java applet
>> >
>> > Web interfaced Termbanks
>> >
>> > Details of forthcoming applications
>> >
>> >and more.
>> >--
>> >
>> >_/__/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
>> >_/ L.Gillam@surrey.ac.uk
>> >_/ http://www.mcs.surrey.ac.uk/showstaff?L.Gillam
>> >_/__/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
>> >
>> >Disk full: Press F1 to belch
>>
>>
>>
>
>--
>
>_/__/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
>_/ L.Gillam@surrey.ac.uk
>_/ http://www.mcs.surrey.ac.uk/showstaff?L.Gillam
>_/__/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
>
>Disk full: Press F1 to belch