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[ Go to February 1997 Table of Contents ]
Letters
Fred Langa's column about dribbleware elicited an overwhelming response. See Fred's Start column in this issue for more. Plus, Todd Rundgren stirred up some noise. How can we avoid dribbleware (Start, December 1996) when software and hardware product cycles are measured in months (or weeks)? When I'm trying to maintain someone else's machine, the situation stinks. But when I'm working on my own machine, I want those patches, bug fixes and updates dribbled out to me as soon as possible; I don't want to wait for the next dot-version upgrade. Ron Wilhoite via the Internet It's easy for Fred Langa to sound the alarm on dribbleware, but does he have a better alternative? Mike Asher via the Internet Editor's Note: As a matter of fact, yes. See this month's Start column. Dribbleware reminds me of the experience of opening a toy on Christmas morning, and just when you reach the peak of excitement ... you realize the necessary batteries weren't included. Oscar Savoini via the Internet We pay good money for half-tested, bug-ridden software and must then scramble to find patches, upgrades, interim releases and whatnots. In what other industry could you get away with this? Just try selling a car (no, millions of cars) with a missing wheel or faulty brake system and try to make patches available at the factory outlets. Peter Balint via the Internet
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