I just can't sit and watch a discussion without throwing in my opinion.

I would agree with the statement "Stop trying to make them care..... treat them as the commodity (sp?) that they are and get on with business.". If you don't agree with a company's policy, normally you don't buy from them. And that's the thing I think 3Com is missing here.

As far as the hardware, I've always believed in 3Com and USR and so I started my business with cheap, used Total Control hardware. My business is growing and eventually I'm going to want or need to expand and add new hardware. At some point in the not-too-distant future I'm going to buy new equipment rather than going to Ebay. I think the TC hardware is great and if they helped me out now the way other vendors do (with freely available software updates and such) I'd be buying new TC hardware. But that won't be the case.

On the software - at a time when 50 different strangers were willing to freely provide me all the software I needed to keep my equipment up to date, I chose to buy the support contract for the sole purpose of doing it legally and making absolutely sure I had the latest software. Now, like many others, I feel cheated. I bought the software contract in good faith that I would have access to software updates, which just became useless without paying for CEM.

It is a business, and it's not uncommon in specialty businesses for the provider to charge for software updates and support, and I could deal with the support. However, I feel it IS unreasonable to tell me I can have all the software I want for $1400 for a year, and then 5 months later tell me it's going to be another $1000 if I want to use the software. In that way, they've not only cheated themselves out of the potential ton of new hardware I will be buying over the next few years, but they've also cheated themselves, and their partners (Source-T, etc.) out of the additional service contracts.

The problem is that if I shell out the $1000, what's to stop them from coming out with something new and wanting another $1000 next year? No thanks Mr. Gates, I'll be running Win2K until new hardware isn't compatible!

To me this is all very disappointing because I do like the total control hardware. When starting my business, I consulted with several people about hardware. My telco wanted to provide me with Cisco hardware. Another ISP told me I was nuts to go with TC and how much better off I'd be with Ascend. I hate being wrong.

I'm still dealing with the fact that my competitors, running on the same telco, with the same CT1 circuits, with older TC units with version 2 DSP code, consistantly get faster connections to any given subscriber on the same phone lines and same modems. One friend tells me that instead of spending $1000 for CEM, I should spend the $4000 for a MAX TNT box on Ebay and he guarantees me I'll get faster connections than anyone with a TC unit.

In the computer sales business, I do a LOT of free service for my customers because I know that within 1-3 years they'll be back buying more. That's why they keep buying from me when I can't compete with Dell and Gateway. My only point is that they're missing the boat. They're handling this like the software support and sales are the last dime they'll get from me. That's a self-fulfilling policy. They are absolutely correct.

- Joel

-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Harberts [mailto:tom@gigonet.com]
Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2002 7:44 PM
To: usr-tc@mailman.xmission.com
Subject: RE: [USR-TC] Response

>Thomas_Goodman@3com.com Wrote:

>To set some things straight:

>CommWorks is a wholly owned subsidiary of 3Com. 3Com sold off Palm and

>spun off the Courier and Sportster Modem division which bought the name US

>Robotics. 3Com and USR are not structured apart they are two different

>companies. CommWorks has no say in what other companies do on end user

>modems or any other product you sell to the end user.

Snips- off the Commworks site...

http://www.commworks.com/programs/v.92_switchboard/default.asp

U.S. Robotics is a leading provider of modems worldwide, and has formed an interoperability partnership with CommWorks to give subscribers the full capabilities of V.92. Their V.90 modems are easily upgradeable to V.92 with a software download from the U.S. Robotics website (www.usr.com/v92), to be fully supported by the CommWorks Total Control 1000 enhanced data system.

http://www.commworks.com/images/logo.gif

Guess what else, I was in Wal-Mart today.. in audio/video/computer

section... there were two modems on their shelf, only two, an external

and internal. Both were v.92. Both said US Robotics on the box.. and

I'll be darned... guess what else was on the box... the 3Com logo. Wierd.

I've been a 3Com junky ever since 3Com bought Chipcom. I was burned

on a $60,000 CB9000 chassis which was end of lifed 6 months later.. and

now I see it in the RAS arena. I've spent the $300/hour on tech support to

a guy who could barely speak english.

Tom, please don't sell try to sell this... not on this list... really.

I do want to thank you for being here... on the list..though... it's

one thing 3com/Usr/Commworks has to it's favor. We're glad

you are here. But let's keep it real at the very least.

Thanks for listening to us grip.. just the same.. ;)

Actually, the feeling of being reemed at every corner is real, and

as business, one would think USR3Commworks would try to

ease the feeling.

However, as Paul put it.... "Stop trying to make them care..... treat

them as the commodity (sp?) that they are and get on with business."

HERE HERE...

Be good,

-Tom H.