MacOS DHCP Server? - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

26 Oct 2001

...
 Sounds like you actually have the software running,
whats it like, what are
you doing with it? 
...
 From the PC side of things, it is just being used to
access a networked  printer over our old AppleTalk network. I have just been too
lazy to 
upgrade that wing of the building to Ethernet to match the rest of the 
place. So they use the old TeleNet network, and that now terminates in my 
office, where it routes thru a Localtalk to Ethernet converter, and 
continues on to the Ethernet network, where they access our HP 4000 (or 
any other printer they want).

It works great for this, but honestly, I would have to play a bit with it 
to tell you much about it. I am not the one that originally installed the 
software on the PCs, so I know little about it. I could tell you more 
about the Mac end of things, as we used to actually use the file sharing 
abilites of that (up until System 7 added easier to use personal file 
server). It has been a while since I had a mac with it installed (we 
stopped buying it for new macs when I explained one day, that if all we 
were doing was printing, we didn't need tops on the mac, appletalk 
printing was built in... so my boss stopped paying $400 a pop for it... 
it wasn't until later that I started using it for file sharing, figuring 
we had it, might as well use it)

...
 Abandoneware is one thing, but this is "throw your
customers off a
cliffware". Ultimately Sun owns the rights to the TOPS network protocol, at
least I think, but Symantec and Farallon pretend this era of product which
came with LIFETIME support etc. never existed. 
All the versions I have are marked as being from Sun, who is the only 
company I remember dealing with for TOPS (not saying others didn't own 
it, I just never dealt with them... my boxes are all marked "TOPS 
Division of Sun Microsystems... implying that they TOPS on a whole).

The customer support manual does very specifically state that as a 
registered user, I get free support, no matter how long I own TOPS, as 
long as I own the current, or the previous release. They also say I get 
free notification of enhancements, updates, and new products... I have 
2.1 for DOS, I wonder if that still qualifies... Why aren't they spamming 
me with new product announcements damnit!

...
 Wants some fun, buy an EXPENSIVE sealed retail box new
old stock product,
then without opening the envelope with the discs, send a letter to the
company informing them that you are NOT willing to comply with the terms of
their license agreement and want a refund of the retail price of the
package. 
I think I have an unopened copy of Windows For Workgroups.... That must 
have been pricey in its day... I wonder if MS will give me my money 
back... oh wait, no they won't, at least not if their refusal to the 
Linux community is any indication. Humm... does that then relieve me of 
the agreement, if I refused to accept it, and notified them, and they 
refuse to take it back and refund me... shouldn't I be legally allowed to 
do with it as I please, including use the disks as drink coasters? (You 
thought I would say duplicate it and give it away, but I can't in good 
concious subject others to Windows anything!)

-chris

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