Amiga.org
Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Software Issues and Discussion => Topic started by: SnowDog on April 12, 2003, 12:38:48 AM
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Quick question.... I bought 3.9 and just got it today! I was wondering... was it distributed on CD-R with Printed label / CD Sleeve? Just wanted to make sure I didn't get a copy that someone just made... Thanks!
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it sure wasn't. AFAIK. it looks like u got a copy. mine is a proper printed cd and box.
hope this helps, return and demand your money back, if they wont report them to your governments piracy department.
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Yap same here. I bough a 2nd hand one but it's pro print quality. Yours most likely a copy.
Where didn't you bought it by the way?
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Somthing similar happened to me when I ordered Deluxe Paint V from Software Hut a few months back. Got a CD-R in a thin jewel case. I recieved no manual either. Pretty lame. I doubt they have permission from the publisher (Electronic Arts) to distribute these obvious copies of their products.
On the other hand, I ordered StormC 4 directly from H&P last month and it came in a thin jewel case and only a semi-professional registration card for the insert. The CD was a blue CD-R with a nice, professional label.
My guess is it's a simple way to cut costs, but if the OS 3.9 CD doesn't actually have the boing ball logo on it I'd at least check with Amiga Inc. to ensure that the company you ordered it from has permission to distribute such copies.
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I bought it at Software Hut... Hmmmm
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Yes, Humm...Software Hut seems to be a bit shady. They once substituted an inferior product for an item that they did not have in stock without notifying me. It was the HiSoft C++ Lite compiler when I had ordered the SAS/C 6.5 compiler. The two packages aren't even close in value. I'd ask Amiga Inc if your copy is legit.
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SnowDog wrote:
I bought it at Software Hut... Hmmmm
sounds like we should be avoiding Software Hut...
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Software Hut is NOT shady! I've done tons of business with them without any problems. One bad transaction does not make a bad company.
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We're not talking about 1 bad transaction. We are talking about possibly 3. I'd probably still buy things from them, but regardless, in at least two cases that I know of they have charged full price for an obvious copy of copyrighted software and in another they substituted a product of lesser value without refund or notification to the customer. If this is not shady, it is at least questionable.
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I bought 3.9 from S-Hut. It came in a shrinked
jewel - case with a proper CD. I have had
both good and marginal experiences with them.
The last time I dealt with them, I had a
somewhat bad experience, but to their
credit they did resolve it quickly, and
threw in a free sticker...no big deal but
I thought it was a proffessional gesture.
In all actuality, they are very good at
returning e - mails, and are struggling in
a dead market. They are FAR better than
Compu - dick....watch out if you have a
problem with them....
I say give them a fair shot...but don't be
afraid to ask for a refund or report them
if you have to.
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I've had two experiences with them: One good and one bad. I remain neutral. I will probably be ordering a Catweasel from them, now that there are drivers for Amithlon. ;^) They say the third times a charm. :-D
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Hey now! Software Hut has been a great source for me. Most stuff in my A2000 came from Joe's place. HE willnot screw you. This comes from several years of doing bis w/SoftwareHut. I'm sure if you check it will be an authorized copy.
Chris
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what i want to know is, what kind of computer dealer sells pirated crap?
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@ iamaboringperson
The question has been asked, however, we don't know if there is an Licence to copy. How about we wait for an official response.
Chris
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OK... So I will call Software Hut tomorrow and talk to them about this issue.
This is the first time I bought anything from them but I have to say... I've sent them some emails asking questions and they have been AWESOME!
I was going to buy 3.9 off of EBAY... It said new but it just really looked like a copy that someone made... I didn't feel right saving 10 bucks to buy a copy so I ordered through Software Hut.
When I got the software it was a bit of a disappointment... I was expecting at the least a professional looking CD (Like 3.5). I could have easily printed this 3.9 label / sleeve with my $200 printer BUT before I called them I just wanted to check to see if what I got was normal... From the sounds of it, probably not...
Thanks for all the comments! I'll keep you posted!
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I agree that Software Hut is a legitimate organization. I have been doing business with them for years (although not much lately...) They have always been above board.
Maybe Amiga is cutting corners by having Bill McEwin sit in the back room of their office and burn copies of OS 3.9 on his PC??
"Hey, Fleecy, run down to OfficeMax and pick me up another 50 pack of Hi-Val disks... We've got another order to fill!"
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SilvrDrgn wrote:
Software Hut is NOT shady! I've done tons of business with them without any problems. One bad transaction does not make a bad company.
This isn't exactly just a "bad transaction" :-o
A pirate AOS CD??? Cmon!
(maybe there's an explanation though?)
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If Software Hut are being completely legit, they should at least put a note in with the delivery with an explanation why, and to say that they have the authorisation to make copies like that, and if you have any questions you can ring them on x number and a guy at AInc/H&G at y number.
Or have a page on softhut's and also AInc's/H&G's site with agreeing information. The pages don't need to be linked to the rest of the websites, just the URL quoted on the note on the delivery.
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So ####ing what? Even if A' inc have given Software Hut permission to make copys of OS3.9, the CD you have paid full price for is now worth 0$ to you! What if you want to sell your miggy or just OS3.9? You can't sell it as a legit copy now can you.
Damn cowboy Amiga dealers! Now you are all going to defend them aren't you? If it was a PC dealer you would be really slagging them off by now! :-o
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I for one would be pissed off to pay full price for a OS if it came on a cheapo 12p CD-R and not a pressed CD.
@lorddef
Well said but that is the way it is going to be, Amiga dealers are always going to be praised and defended no matter what.
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If the price for the OS was like MS's OS prices then it would annoy me, but they're not anywhere as bad as that. I think it's a bit of a cheapo thing to do, and lacks professionalism. But, provided that the CD came with some kind of proof of authenticity that would be enough for me. After considering the cost of that though, it would probably be cheaper to come up with a 'real looking' pressed CD :-)
Software Hut are selling OS 3.9 for $47 (USD). Windows 2000 goes for anywhere between £100 - £250 UK pounds. Slight difference :-)
Are you getting what you paid for, is the question at the end of the day. Did you pay $40 to look at a nice pressed CD, or to have an operating system on your Amiga hardware?
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@ mikeymike
ooh, well said
Chris
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It might also be because there are no silver CD's anymore.
Amiga OS 3.9 was produced by Haage&Partner. I recenty bought StormC 4 from them at the highly reduced price of 50 euro. It was also a CD-R with a label. Probably because the silvers were out of stock.
So it might quite possibly be an orignal( in this case from Haage&Partner) OS 3.9 because the silvers are out of stock and they do not wish to go to the trouble anymore of pressing a new batch.
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I talked to Software Hut today and they explained to me that they get them from their distributor in Germany that way. They share the same frustration that others have felt from receiving software on copied CDs... Some even have photocopied manuals...
On the whole they were great to work with... They even offer to replace my copy with an opened original CD that they are using in-house.
I guess we just need to understand that the demand for some Amiga software isn't large enough for some companies to meet the press minimums...
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Thanks SnowDog for the update. It's good to know that Software Hut is above board. It's a shame that the Amiga market is so small as to force companies to cut costs in such a way as to cause confusion about possible piracy. But such is life I guess.
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Software Hut is a great company.
After all being Amigans, we all have the same underground feel. I don`t mean piracy. Lots of Amiga users use pirated software sometimes. After all true Amigans are those that buy what they like. If something deserves to be bought, real Amigans go and buy it. Am I wrong?
About those OS3.9 CD`s I would be more than happy if my AmigaOS cd was a copied one with photocopied manual. Thus reducing cost and concentrting on putting more resources on improving it. Its "whats inside the cd" that`s important. Isn`t it? I wonder if its Haage&Partner thats pirating AmigaOS :))
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hmmmm....when i ordered the amiga party pack from amiga itself, they sent me a cd-r with nice label, but hte box and everything else was original..perhaps they ran out of original os39 cd's and resorted to cd-r's temporarily??? i dunno...
:-? :-? :-?
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I ordered some of my first ever amiga stuff from
S - Hut over 10 years ago. I'm glad to hear
they gave you a satisfactory response. They're
better than most.
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os 3.5 has a big box + pressed cd...for sure..., and some didnt...
os3.9, well atleast mine...came in a jewel case with a pressed cd , looks good..but i was dissapointed to not have the pressed manual (like 3.5) nor the big box...
anyway i have bought from softwarehut also, and i dont have any bad feelings over em..., but when they didnt notify the buyer of this 3.9 copy they sold..., thats kinda.... eeew.
nothing is worser than pirating our os if u ask me....
so how does he update it to bb2? ...or prove that he owns it...if thats needed....what if ,...
if that had been me...i would have returned the cd... easy as that.
this is just like Alive did, and amigagames.co.uk still do, out of stock?..no problem...we just make a cd-r copy and sell it to you....no wonder people have more or less stopped to buy games/apps etc from shops... ;(((((((((((((((
anyway good luck on getting a proper os3.9 , besides u are kinda 2+ years late , but still its cool that u atleast tried to do it in a legit way.
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perhaps they ran out of original os39 cd's and resorted to cd-r's temporarily??? i dunno...
I don't think there is any temporarily about it.
The silvers are gone and they won't make a new batch anymore. Why should they?
It doesn't sell in quantities and it's a dead end product. Just be glad they offer the CD-R option.
There are plenty of other companies that don't offer that option either. Then such a product is really dead.
I think there ought to be a law about that! At the moment you don't offer a product for sale anymore, you have abandoned it. At that point an intermediate period of say 5 years goes into effect after which the software becomes freely distributable!
I think it's a crime when a company doesn't offer a piece of software anymore but starts yapping about the fact it's commercial software and you may not freely distribute it.
Sell it or make it freeware but don't take the middle road.