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Confessions of a Diskette Junkie

Confessions of a Diskette Junkie Dave Sherman Columbus Computer Society Columbus, OH VERYONE knows that when you close E a closet at night, the hangers multiply. Did you know that diskettes have the same property? They multiply in direct propor­ tion to the number of programs you have. In the five years I've owned an IBM PC, I've accumulated over 800 diskettes, not including my blank diskettes. This number don't Finally, I increases greatly when you add the 3 1/2 know if blame the soft­ in. disks I started collecting a year ago the product ware vendors for when vendors began including them in shipped is good encouraging my ad­ their packages. or defective— diction. Vendors say I'm the main culprit behind the growth witness my problem their market research in­ since I started my collection of diskettes, indexing with my word dicates that users want more because I follow a simple precept: software processor. Most software and more features added to the will fail at the most inopportune moment, vendors never notify their next releases. Some people want i.e., when I need it the most. So I have customers that they sold them you to believe the market has two two programs that do the same thing. a defective product, let alone send tiers: basic users and power users. My Why? Recently, I had to finish two them a free upgrade. I recently upgraded research tells me there's at least a five-tier proposals at the same time. They were to DOS 4.0 (which came on five diskettes) market: 1) those people who never want finished ahead of time, except for the table because I wanted a 40MB partition on my to get involved with PCs, 2) those who of contents and index that I wanted to in­ 40MB hard drive. Since I upgraded, there want to get involved but are confused clude. The table of contents was finished have been two fixes for bugs (that had to with all the hardware and software items when I started the index. After deciding be placed on 10 additional disks). Yet, I've that are currently available, 3) those who that the index was going in a separate con­ never seen an explanation for these two are involved but in a limited manner cordance file, I was ready to build the in­ bugs. And the vendor has never notified (usually limited to one specific software dex. When, after having the machine lock me of the bug fixes; I've just read about package), 4) those who work with two or up for the fourth time, I called customer the fixes in the computer literature and/or more packages, and 5) powe r users or support for this package, they informed heard about them at my local PC user office gurus. Vendors are adding more and me that the interim release (right, my ver­ group meetings. more features so that all users will have sion) had a serious flaw in the index pro­ everything in one package. Therefore the Notification of bug fixes is one of the gram. They would be happy to send me a number of disks sent with the package is only three reasons to send in the registra­ free upgrade by regular mail or I could pay increasing. One package went from 6 disk­ tion card to the software vendor. The for next-day delivery. However, since I ettes to 15 with a new upgrade, yet no­ other two are to receive new product an­ have two different word processing pro­ where in the documentation is a listing of nouncements and to receive technical sup­ grams, I was able to get the projects done what programs are really needed. I have port. Most vendors don't do a very good on time, without having to wait for the two hard drives (20 and 40MB). I have job on two of the three items. upgrade to arrive. only 6 programs installed on the 20MB The third cause of my addiction has Another reason I have more than one drive. Even so, I could increase my disk been overuse of some of the local bulletin program for the same application is I can't storage space if I used more diskettes; boards. During the past several months, I seem to find that perfect program. I have however, I n o longer have enough storage was trying to get the best public domain six spreadsheet programs, five word space in my office to do that. I wonder and shareware programs and to get up­ processors, and four database programs. ho w many diskettes I would have if I grades to programs I'd previously Each program has good and bad features. made backup disks of all the original disks registered. Some authors were updating Yet, I still can't find that perfect program. like the software vendors instruct me to? their programs weekly; I was downloading The second cause of my being a disk­ them weekly. To protect myself from Meanwhile, does anyone know of any ette junkie is that when I purchase an up­ potential "viruses," these programs were group (anonymous or otherwise) that will grade to a product I like, I refuse to de­ going straight to diskette before I ever cure this diskette junkie? stroy the previous versions of that product. looked at them. Nor do I destroy the previous manuals. I OCLC Micro Vol. 6, No. 1 February 1990 27 http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png OCLC Micro Emerald Publishing

Confessions of a Diskette Junkie

OCLC Micro , Volume 6 (1): 1 – Jan 1, 1990

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Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © Emerald Group Publishing Limited
ISSN
8756-5196
DOI
10.1108/eb056004
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Dave Sherman Columbus Computer Society Columbus, OH VERYONE knows that when you close E a closet at night, the hangers multiply. Did you know that diskettes have the same property? They multiply in direct propor­ tion to the number of programs you have. In the five years I've owned an IBM PC, I've accumulated over 800 diskettes, not including my blank diskettes. This number don't Finally, I increases greatly when you add the 3 1/2 know if blame the soft­ in. disks I started collecting a year ago the product ware vendors for when vendors began including them in shipped is good encouraging my ad­ their packages. or defective— diction. Vendors say I'm the main culprit behind the growth witness my problem their market research in­ since I started my collection of diskettes, indexing with my word dicates that users want more because I follow a simple precept: software processor. Most software and more features added to the will fail at the most inopportune moment, vendors never notify their next releases. Some people want i.e., when I need it the most. So I have customers that they sold them you to believe the market has two two programs that do the same thing. a defective product, let alone send tiers: basic users and power users. My Why? Recently, I had to finish two them a free upgrade. I recently upgraded research tells me there's at least a five-tier proposals at the same time. They were to DOS 4.0 (which came on five diskettes) market: 1) those people who never want finished ahead of time, except for the table because I wanted a 40MB partition on my to get involved with PCs, 2) those who of contents and index that I wanted to in­ 40MB hard drive. Since I upgraded, there want to get involved but are confused clude. The table of contents was finished have been two fixes for bugs (that had to with all the hardware and software items when I started the index. After deciding be placed on 10 additional disks). Yet, I've that are currently available, 3) those who that the index was going in a separate con­ never seen an explanation for these two are involved but in a limited manner cordance file, I was ready to build the in­ bugs. And the vendor has never notified (usually limited to one specific software dex. When, after having the machine lock me of the bug fixes; I've just read about package), 4) those who work with two or up for the fourth time, I called customer the fixes in the computer literature and/or more packages, and 5) powe r users or support for this package, they informed heard about them at my local PC user office gurus. Vendors are adding more and me that the interim release (right, my ver­ group meetings. more features so that all users will have sion) had a serious flaw in the index pro­ everything in one package. Therefore the Notification of bug fixes is one of the gram. They would be happy to send me a number of disks sent with the package is only three reasons to send in the registra­ free upgrade by regular mail or I could pay increasing. One package went from 6 disk­ tion card to the software vendor. The for next-day delivery. However, since I ettes to 15 with a new upgrade, yet no­ other two are to receive new product an­ have two different word processing pro­ where in the documentation is a listing of nouncements and to receive technical sup­ grams, I was able to get the projects done what programs are really needed. I have port. Most vendors don't do a very good on time, without having to wait for the two hard drives (20 and 40MB). I have job on two of the three items. upgrade to arrive. only 6 programs installed on the 20MB The third cause of my addiction has Another reason I have more than one drive. Even so, I could increase my disk been overuse of some of the local bulletin program for the same application is I can't storage space if I used more diskettes; boards. During the past several months, I seem to find that perfect program. I have however, I n o longer have enough storage was trying to get the best public domain six spreadsheet programs, five word space in my office to do that. I wonder and shareware programs and to get up­ processors, and four database programs. ho w many diskettes I would have if I grades to programs I'd previously Each program has good and bad features. made backup disks of all the original disks registered. Some authors were updating Yet, I still can't find that perfect program. like the software vendors instruct me to? their programs weekly; I was downloading The second cause of my being a disk­ them weekly. To protect myself from Meanwhile, does anyone know of any ette junkie is that when I purchase an up­ potential "viruses," these programs were group (anonymous or otherwise) that will grade to a product I like, I refuse to de­ going straight to diskette before I ever cure this diskette junkie? stroy the previous versions of that product. looked at them. Nor do I destroy the previous manuals. I OCLC Micro Vol. 6, No. 1 February 1990 27

Journal

OCLC MicroEmerald Publishing

Published: Jan 1, 1990

There are no references for this article.