Like many of you I started programming in an era of raised floors, special
cooling....I have always regarded a maintenance contract as a necessity.

We've had a long term relationship with our CE - many times over the last 20
years he has come out earlier than the contract specified. In the case of
our late departed Series 42 when it got to the point that only the power
supply was covered, we had something major break and he came out on his own
to fix it. We would have been up the proverbial creek so to speak...

We dropped our software support probably 10 years ago when they got to
$1000/month. Like the hardware we used it rarely but when you needed it, you
were desperate.

I can remember a time with the 42 when the system would not boot up - and I
don't know how they did this but somehow they (Atlanta Center) were able to
dial into the modem and look at the disk even with the system off - sounds
crazy but I was there watching them.

I can remember in years past if you had no software support but needed a
power patch you were to contact your CE.

It just seems to me that that level of service is gone. An HP manager called
me yesterday because I gave neutral ratings to the Hardware service - anyway
she said that I was ineligible for a p/p but she would "see what she could
do".

I guess what makes me mildly irritated was the fact that had I called up to
April they would have given me all the patches I needed, at least the Y2K
related patches...I never heard about this program...

I'm looking at this little 917 and thinking that I still have my old
attitudes about coverage when I should start to think of the thing as a PC.
(a higher end; not an e machine ;-) ) I'll bet as components only the disk
drives are a weak link. With these newer systems PM is a thing of the past
and unless I call my CE I will probably never see him again.

Meanwhile several listers were kind enough off line to show me how to use
Reflection to upload the website patches and when I get some time I will try
this...

Bill