I consider
myself simply an experienced computer user having started in support, sales
and usage of computers in early 1979. I’ve
seen system architectures come and go, usually to the better as they have
improved greatly over the years. I’ve
seen the promised “new” operating systems and computer languages do the
same. I still laugh at the
marketer’s cry of “A PC in every home within the next 5 years.”
The one thing
that has always been an issue for me is the lack of support for products by
the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs.)
Some try with call centers… Some call centers even have people who
care and try to help the customers or users…
Usually, the salaries paid to the frontline representatives are too low
to attract or keep knowledgeable people on the phones.
And, even with that, the costs per phone call can often exceed the
profit from the item. I actually
started doing free USB support on the Internet because I disliked seeing the
gaps between the System OEMs and the Peripheral OEMs that left the customers
without help. I have even tried to include information for “support”
personnel, as I have grown weary of customers telling me that their
“equipment” support team had no idea about how to correctly resolve their
issues.
I have
become a “born again” believer in USB technologies.
I would like to see the Operating Systems companies doing correct
support for the Standards adopted. I
would like to see them voluntarily post changes from one version to the next.
I would like to see the System OEMs ship their computers with the BIOS
properly enabled for USB. I would
like to see these OEMs demand that their BIOS be correctly written to support
USB and the chips actually support the standards.
I would like to see the industry look slightly beyond the “written”
standards for computer systems and look at how their product will interface
with the whole system and avoid the obvious conflicts that can be generated
while still within these “standards.”
I am also a
believer in the principals of the Free Market and Capitalism.
However, I would like to see OEMs Advertising monies diverted from
sports centers, racing cars and the like and see more monies spent on product
support and education. (After all
guys, nobody’s going to buy a product too complicated to use.)
I keep reading that there are thousands of new computer users every
day. Without support/ and
education for them, the “user experience” is bad.
This does your market no good.
While I climb
down from my soapbox, I would add one more comment.
If you want to proceed with “business as usual,” why not make it a
bit easier for those of us doing “free support” to get into your Alpha and
Beta test programs or have access to samples.
I know that’s not as glorious as sending the products to the magazine
folks. Maybe just being able to
have a contact that would be able to email back an answer (like most of the
smaller companies) would be nice.
Semper Fi,
10/03/200
Tom Raney
