Macworld Thoughts

I will post some pictures and comments on the entire Macworld show later today or tomorrow, but something happened today that made me want to blog right away.

Tim (MyMac.com’s publisher) was sitting in the press room working on his computer, and did not look happy. Seems he lost a lot of yesterday’s work due to a disc problem. No problem I thought, we are at Macworld, and I can just go get a utility to help fix the problem.

So, off I headed into the South Hall of Macworld and stopped first at Micromat who has a product called TechTool 4 Pro. This is a utility to help with many kinds of Macintosh problems, disk directory problems among them. I was hoping to see if I, as a member of the press, I could get a copy of the software to take back to Tim. Well, they did one better, and immediately one of their booth staff came back with me to the Press Room, USB thumb drives in hand, to see how he could help. Unfortunately, Tim could not stop his upload at the time, but the offer to help was extended for any time later. See Micromat for more info on TechTool.

But Tim, who likes Alsoft’s Diskwarrior, really wanted to use that tool first, but needed a CD copy to try and repair the problems on his machine. Both Tim and I own copies of the software (I have bought three versions actually) , so I thought I would head off again onto the floor again to Alsoft’s booth and see if they would give me a NFR (not for resale) reviewer’s copy to take back to the media room. Not a chance, flat out NO!

Even after I explained I was with the press, I was a product reviewer, that we would mention their help on our website, and that we had a problem with our machine in the media room right now, they would not even lend me a disk to use, much less give me a copy. They said if I brought the computer to them they would look at it, but that was not really a solution at the time, nor should I have to bring it to them Look at Micromat who came immeditely to us, not the other way around! I should also say that there were there of four Alsoft people in the booth, and no one else at this time, so no one was going to even see them lend or give me a copy of the software anyway, and it was not like they were really busy either.

Now, if I seem taken aback by their response to my request for a copy of the software, perhaps I should explain why. You might say, well, you were trying to get a free copy after all. I agree, partially, but as I said, I own it at home. BUT, as “Media” as Macworld calls us (press in other places), companies are usually pushing product into our hands all the time as we walk into their booths. Many times, I actually have to refuse, because I am not going to review it, I really do not want it. But MOST companies here on the show floor really want their product, especially software, in the hands of the media so they get coverage, mentions, and reviews in the press.

But Alsoft was having none of this. WIth a large stack of CDs in white envelopes sitting in plain view, they were completely unwilling to hand me a reviewer CD of their software. So given that we own the software already, we are members of the press, and we had a computer emergency at the show, I would expect more from this company, so I am disappointed at their response.

But for me, I no longer want to use or recommend their software either anymore. I plan to walk the show again today, and my first goal is going to be finding a tool that replaces Diskwarrior. If this is the way this company wants to treat us when we really need them, and they are only a few hundred feet away, and especially in a time of need, then I will use something else. If nothing else, I have to consider customer service as a BIG reason to buy software, and obviously it does not exist with Alsoft!

There is Drive Genius…I think I will go see what they have to say!

Your thoughts please.