Bentley bad business practices for Audi 90 1993-95 CD

[Huw Powell]

> << You're not being "taken advantage of."
> 
> All I see is someone who has grossly unreasonable expectations from
>  old software and the company that made it.  Really, what obligations
>  does Bentley have to ship you a free version of 5 year old software
>  when you can't even prove you owned it in the first place?  Whose 
> fault is it that you lost the CD?  Whose fault is it for not backing
>  up that system that died? >>

I basically agree here - no serial number, no original disk, leaves you 
with not much recourse.  But...

> I'm in the same boat with the C4 manual for our 1995 A6. I disagree
> that it is "obsolete software" though, since it is a "Publication"
> that runs on a web browser. The problem lies in the (in)ability to
> unlock the files. Last time I spoke with Bentley they were unable to
> make any concessions whatsoever. There was no new CD version to
> upgrade to.

I take it this was "obsoleted" by a new OS?

Over the years I have had to occasionally upgrade a few versions of 
things I own due to this - but it is fairly rare.  In fact, it really 
only applied to two DOS programs I still had from the early 90's that 
were pretty much "worn out" by the time I got to XP.

I know it's not a real solution, Mike, but if you still have the disc, 
you might want to keep an obsolete computer around to run it on?  Mid 
speed P2's are virtually free these days, and hopefully you still have 
whatever OS the Bentley would work on to load on one.

The harder core among us running Linux would just create another 
partition thingie and run whatever OS they needed on top of Linux, I 
would imagine.

Speaking of running crappy old P2's, I use one in "shipping", just to 
run the UPS software.  Last year I had to put a "new" HDD in it because 
the thing was such a hog (couldn't run on 2 gigs, with XP there as well!)

It will only be this Jan or next when this old machine will no longer 
meet UPS' "standards" for RAM, speed, or something.  Heck, how long 
before UOWS will only run on Vista?

</oops rant off>

-- 
Huw Powell

http://www.humanspeakers.com/audi

http://www.humanthoughts.org/