Where oh where to jump into this thread?  the possibilities are endless...

> -----Original Message-----
> From: ALBERT KARMAN [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>
> Wow....apologies to offended parties, who've raised interesting
> points.....
>
As a former technical-support representitive for Vesoft, I often agonize
over whether or not I should post a "solution"  since I expect it may be
taken to be a "plug".  Some of the reasons for thinking this are:

   1) [most obvious] well, I worked VERY closely with VEsoft's products for
5 years, so 99% of the time my "solution" will start with the words "in
MPEX, type the following..."
   2) as I "used to work" for them, I no longer have a "financial interest",
so [per other relavent postings], I theoretically don't need <plug></plug>
markers, but I *know* it is very easy to consider my post a "plug" for the
product
   3) knowing that the HP3000 community is tiny [microscopic?] in comparison
to "other platforms", and considering the level of "advertising" Vesoft did
at the start of their business [about as bad as the Tymlab example given
earlier -- they even used to HOST a RUG...], it is almost unfathomable to
think that someone DOESN'T already have [or know of] their product, yet
there are a fair number of people out there who still ask "what is that '%'
prompt doing there?"

> You may commence beating me to death with a beta release.

Touche'

In VEsoft's case, their product is well established, so it is rarely
classifiable as "beta" software [although often times customers would
request "beta" versions of "the next release"]  In Minisoft's case, I cannot
really comment as I haven't seen their product, but I would generally
classify it as the "first public release on a new platform" [or, in this
case, underlying language] of an existing product.  A product, mind you,
that is their "bread and butter" -- they should know the "terminal" topic
inside and out by now!

Tom