VENTRINO TRAFFIC EXCHANGE SCRIPTS
TURNING WEB VISITORS INTO BUYERS FOR OUR CUSTOMERS SINCE 1994
Looking forward to the Tablet not sure about an iPad though
Published January 28, 2010 | 
I have never been enthusiastic about Apple. I’m not sure if its an irrational dislike of them or some professional jealousy, probably a mixture of both. As a programmer since the late 70′s I watched in frustration as hardware and software companies took proprietary routes which held back progress for us all.
As soon as the IBM PC released it was clear that generic hardware and OS development would drive progress. So companies like Apple that greedily protected everything they did and kept their prices artificially high under some waspish excuse that they did things in more style could well be the reason for my dislike of them.
Their constant attack on everyone else probably another. I had always thought they were part of the Apple Music label and is probably why I bought my first (an Apple II), the public battle between them and the Beatles, which I think the Beatles lost, was astonishing news to me. But they continue to steal names from my memory for which I thought were other things. At the early launch of the net for example “iPhone” was a name given to an early VOIP application, and again I had mislead myself into believing that their new phone was going to be little more than that with a 3g connection. How far from the truth, but I am not an iPhone protagonist. Its the device that sets the standard for other manufacturers. Even a blind chicken finds corn sometimes.
But its not just product names they have taken, its design too. In the early 80′s I contracted to a hardware manufacturer based in Aberdeen. They created a PC which was identical to 
the iMac pedestal in every way except it had a plastic arm rather than a fancy chrome one. It could also be purchased in multiple colors rather than just white. When Apple released their version 20 years later and claimed it was “a world first” I confess it took me back. I contacted the founder of the PC manufacturer (a household name in the US and UK in its time) and asked him if he was aware of Apples claim and would he not be doing something about it? “Martyn..” he sighed “I’m retired at 67 with just enough to see me through, why should I care?”.
And honestly what does it matter? So Apple succeed again due to apathy and a cult following that live and breath everything they say.
Along comes yesterdays announcement of the iPad. I had resolved that I was going to overcome my irrational attitude towards Apple and investigate with a view to buy. I decided rather than go for the iPhone I would save the cash and investigate Apples Tablet PC (I assume they are not going to claim they innovated this idea too). But that name! Check out #itampon on twitter and you will see why I have become reluctant again.
I am going to find it hard to be proud of my purchase with a name like that (and I know just how irrational that sounds).
Incredible SSD Prices or Too Good To Be True?
Published January 26, 2010 | If you want to boost the performance of your PC or Laptop a high performance SSD such as the OCX Vertex Turbo Series SATA II 2.5″ is ideal (Search Yourtube for independent performance test examples and be prepared for a surprise). But they usually cost between £400 and £500.
When everywhere else still asks £400+ it suggests Amazon have made a mistake. Personally I hope not as I ordered two this morning! If you search Amazon you might see their old advert which shows it still at the old price of £436.59, but click this link
UPDATE Jan 27th, 2010
Well it doesn’t look like it took them long to figure out the problem but they have so far not cancelled my order (too damn right). Below is a copy of the original offer (for posterity’s sake). Click for full size.
Digital River Costs Too Much
Published January 5, 2010 | Dedicated to Rudenko of RoboSoft
As a software developer I should not criticise my peers, I am only too well aware of my own shortcomings. However after 8 years I can no longer be quiet.
My angst is over RoboSoft PAD Automation Software, and its excellent. It does exactly what I want, how I want it to and there are no modifications I want to the way it runs. It works.
The problem comes with their payment processor, Digital River, whose ability to handle online financial transactions “outside the box” is about as effective as a dead muskrat. If you attempt to purchase from an IP address that is not within 30ft of your billing address you are already in trouble so imagine how they react to someone whose ISP forces them to use a proxy server that spins IP addresses every 15 seconds?
Overcome their inability to understand technology and you might think you are on your way to solving the problem. ohh no. Absolutely not! I am an IT contractor and that takes me around the world, often the UK, Spain, USA and South Africa. According to Digital River that makes me a terrorist, or a financial risk (but I assume not both).
The fact that I have bank accounts that predate the Internet all in good standing, that I have had a Paypal account since January 2000 and “reputation” figure in the high thousands carries little influence with them. Because I exercise my right as a human being to have more than one address in more than one country I am a risk to them.
This means that if I wish to buy something from an organisation that uses one of their companies exclusively then its a lost sale. And that’s the problem I have with RoboSoft. Although I was able to buy from them in April 2003 I have not been able to renew my subscription again except once in 2006.
It was a memorable moment. Digital River approved payment although I was currently resident in the USA and on holiday in Spain. The next year, while in the USA I could no longer buy from them. A US bank registered and billed to my US address made no difference. It appears wherever I am in the world, if I am to buy from a Digital River supplier I must travel to Spain (a welcome prospect if not a touch OTT).
Its as if they “profile” their customers and judging by the number they add to the end of my email address each time I attempt to purchase I am suspicious they may be opening an account even though I have not asked for one or given them permission to retain my information (remember, I am not Digital Rivers customer, that has never, nor would ever, be my intention).
I am fed up playing email ping pong with them. I ask a question and they reply with the same answer which boils down to “We are a big company and only people we condescend to treat as humans may deal with us”. Their phone support is even worse… if you can imagine that.
However it occurred to me this is a bitter blow for Rudenko and RoboSoft, even if he doesn’t know about it. Because of Digital Rivers incompetence he has lost $805 in subscription fees due to the years I have not been able to purchase. Doubtless there are many thousands of people in my business that have the same problem with Digital River, and a few of those may have been Rudenko’s customers too.
Where are you Rudenko?
At times I have complained to Rudenko over the years but he has either ignored the messages or could care less. Perhaps he is earning enough already. Who knows. I’m even on his “friend list” at LinkedIn (he’ll probably remove me if he reads this) but nothing has ever been done.
Rudenko is $805 worse off and each year he continues to sell subscriptions he continues to lose more money, only he’s losing an ever increasing amount. In that position I would do something about it, claiming the Ukraine has problems with money transfers was a weak argument 8 years ago but things have improved dramatically so won’t wash today. Whereas DR still has not updated its software to handle VAT properly (They misunderstood the new rules in June 2004 and still do not apply them correctly, but that’s another issue).
How many more people suffer at the hands of Digital Rivers incompetence? Search google and you will see there are 642,000 websites for digital river scam. It maybe anecdotal evidence but overwhelming none the less. Use Digital River exclusively and you are throwing money away, and when there are so many cheaper, more reliable alternatives and much easier to implement its surprising anyone uses them at all.