be more accessible for questions relating to your products

[mama]

Microsoft is one of the worst for being able to ask questions about your
products. There is no email or online person to talk to if you can't find an
answer on site. You want people to buy your products and big prices but we
can't ask questions before doing so. Doesn't impress me.

----------------
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http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...-9178-f3008a4c6fd5&dg=microsoft.public.access

 

[Allen Browne]

In reading this reply, please understand that I am just a user like you; I
am not employed by Microsoft, and cannot reply on their behalf. But I do
write software for a living, and I disagree strongly with your comments.

Firstly, I do not expect unlimited free support to be provided for ever for
products that are purchased outright for just a few hundred dollars. (Paying
technical support to provide answers, you would go broke quite quickly if
you did that.) I do expect that I can buy support as an optional extra if I
need it. The main page at microsoft.com does have links taking you to paid
support options in your region. Please post back a reply if you want to do
that but cannot find the link, or try support.microsoft.com

Beyond paid support, Microsoft publishes some of the best knowledgebases
about their products you can find anywhere. This includes information about
things that do not work correctly, how to solve problems, and sample
solutions. Personally, I use paid support very rarely (one every few years),
but knowledgebase information almost every day. You can search the
knowledgebase at:
http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1

As if that is not enough, Microsoft also actively encourages communities
like the one you posted your suggestion to. Every day, thousands of people
receive free answers to their specific questions from other users of
Microsoft products. In the Access groups, almost every clear, concisem
focused question receives at least one good answer.

So, you can talk to other users and get answers for free, you can search the
constantly expanding knowledgebase of what Microsoft knows about their
products, and if you can also buy technical support if you need it.

Just my opinion.

 

[Tris]

As a relative newcomer to this newsgroup, I want to add my suppport to
Allen's comments. I only wish that I had latched on to its existence earlier.
Every question I have posted has been swiftly answered in a way which not
only has solved the immediate problem but also pointed to useful sources of
additional information, and all in a friendly, non condescending manner.
Respect to all you MVP's and others you give their time helping us out.

 

[mama]

Sorry I bothered everybody...I purchased a dell computer, I was suppose to
get microsoft publisher with it. They keep saying it is back ordered because
microsoft hasn't given it to them. I don't know if it is just a stall tactic
or if Microsoft is really that bad at sending orders to Dell. It has been
six weeks. I would have thought Dell would have had some in stock, it is a
popular program. I finally installed my older version in my new computer in
the meantime. I just thought it would have been nice to contact microsoft
and see what their gist of the situation was.

 

[mama]

I will tell you the same thing I told Allen. I am sorry I bothered
everybody. I purchased a Dell computer. At the time of purchase I ordered
Microsoft Publisher to go with it. Dell has kept changing the date to ship
the program telling me they have not received it from Microsoft. I didn't
know if this is a line I am being fed so I thought it would have been nice to
contact Microsoft and see if they really are that slow with shipments of
their products to Dell. I find it hard to believe it would take over six
weeks for them to receive it. It is a popular program and I would have
thought Dell would have had some in stock. I just wanted to know from
Microsoft if I was getting the run around but there is no way to ask.

 

[Allen Browne]

Okay. Can understand your impatience at not getting the software you
requested. If you bought directly from Dell, I would be very surprised if it
did not work out well in the long term for you.

Please do feel free to post back to these communities in future. This
particular group is about Microsoft Access (the database), but there are
groups where you can ask about Publisher, e.g.:
microsoft.public.publisher

No doubt, your new computer is more powerful than the old one, so once this
is all sorted out, I hope you enjoy putting that hardware to good use with
the graphical content and layout of Publisher.