🚀 go-pugleaf

On Tue, 6 Feb 1996, Steve Teale wrote:

> riordanm@supranet.com (Mark Riordan) wrote:
> 
> >I am not a user of Symantec C++, but I'm considering purchasing
> >a copy.  I started by ordering Symantec's free demo CD of C++ 7.0.
> >	...
> >On 20 November, I thought I'd try again.  Perhaps I just got incompetent
> >people the first time around, thought I.  I called the (800)628-4777
> >number.  This time I got someone who apparently had never heard
> >of C++.  After some difficulty, again I was referred to Customer Support 
> >at (800)441-7234.  Again I called.  
> 
> >It seems that Symantec probably has a good product, but I am
> >concerned about the level of customer support.  I am not used
> >to getting this type of runaround *before* plunking down my money.

> I haven't found the sort of thing you describe significantly different
> with the other vendors.  It's difficult to get questions answered
> anywhere.
> 
> The Symantec compiler is fast, and it generates tight code - that
> works for me.

I use Symantec C++ 7.0.4 for the Mac, and in general I can't recommend 
it.  The environment is nice, and the compiler is fast and tight -- when 
it works.  But it often doesn't work.  In particular, I've found that it 
fails on many projects involving templates, as well as in some cases 
involving multiple inheritance.

This may or may not be the same in the PC version, but what IS likely to 
be the same is the level and quality of support.  When the templates 
problem came up, I had to run the run-around for several weeks.  
Finally, someone in tech support told me to pack up a sample project and 
send it in, which I did.  He was never heard from again.  When the 
multiple-inheritance bug came up, I again had to run the run-around, and 
finally only got their attention by publicly complaining (in this forum) 
about their lousy software and support.  Again they had me pack up a 
project, but this time they did get back to me.  ("Yep," said they, 
"that's a bug all right."  They may fix it in their next release.)

This on top of the fact that their latest versions don't even RUN on my 
computer (a 68K Mac, rather than a PowerPC).  Definately not funny.

I think that they got complacent, since at least in the Mac world, they 
were the only half-decent compiler in town until a year or two ago.  I'd 
suggest you look for a lean, energetic, enthusiastic young company -- 
something like MetroWerks, perhaps.  Just my opinion, FWIW.

,------------------------------------------------------------------.
|    Joseph J. Strout           Department of Neuroscience, UCSD   |
|    jstrout@ucsd.edu           http://www-acs.ucsd.edu/~jstrout/  |
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