TrackMaster Meeting

[Ted Craven]

I'll be gone for the next 2 weeks (San Francisco area) back October 24, and among other things, will be meeting with the folks at TrackMaster. We'll be going over the current and future state of RDSS 2.0, plans for its release, promotion and support. I have a number of things on my agenda to discuss with them, but I thought I would open it up to you the members to add any general or specific issues which are important to you and which I can bring directly to them on your behalf.

I'll be checking the site and my emails regularly, so feel free to add your thoughts here over the next week or so (we meet Oct 19).

Ted

[alydar_ David]

Ted, I'd like to congratulate Trackmaster on a job well done. They've always been extremely helpful -- wonderful customer support -- and their product is first rate.

[Mr.Pagine]

Ted,

Have a great trip, and enjoy the city by the Bay.

Let's make sure that we get together when you get back.

Happy Punting

Jon

[Ted Craven]

Originally Posted by alydar_David

Ted, I'd like to congratulate Trackmaster on a job well done. They've always been extremely helpful -- wonderful customer support -- and their product is first rate.

David,

I passed this on (to Greg, as it happened) and he was quite appreciative, saying he often only hears the opposite comments, i.e. when things go wrong, which we don't know anything about, do we...

Ted

[Ted Craven]

I had a great visit to TrackMaster's offices in Mountainview last week, met pretty much everyone in the business, peeked into their data centre. It was nice to put faces to voices, hear their passion and concerns about racing, see their kids' paintings on the wall, meet Jerry's 2 dogs, etc, etc. In other words, meet real people, not just a faceless corporation.

We talked about progress on RDSS 2 (they grilled me on final release date), I gave a demo of the software so far, showed them RDSS running on a remote server via my notebook (though we could have used an iPad if there was one handy - my response to their mobile software initiative), discussed areas of greater future collaboration on supporting RDSS. Dave Seigel invited us up to Sacramento Friday evening to watch a few harness races where he was driving, but we had to beg off this time.

They promised to hold my feet to the fire (at my request) for my newest RDSS2 delivery goal of next March 31, but all the while still seem fairly pleased with the number of software users so far - by far the most of any third party software using their data files.

Then back to this beautiful (and rainy) autumn Canadian weather.

Ted

[Ted Craven]

I was informed of the following message which appeared recently on the Sartin Alums discussion site:

"The other major Sartin program vendor is going to Trackmaster this week to discuss NEW formats for Sartin program files, Remember what happened when the speed ratings changed? Overnight, the majority of our programs were rendered impotent.

I do not want to be beholden to that vendor if all of a sudden the files are again rendered incompatible with our software so I wrote them of my concerns today. The newer versions of the software he writes are only licensed for one year periods and at a price that none of us want to spend.

I WOULD SUGGEST ALL OF YOU DO THE SAME ASAP. They need to realize how many of us continue to support the older file format so they will not be talked into somehow "changing" them all to benefit the single vendor.

IF WE MAKE ENOUGH NOISE, the exclusivity maneuver can be thwarted. Be quiet and the source could be respond to a single "authority" and we will all be screwed.

Tim Yatcak"

I have to presume this idea arose from a very imaginative interpretation of my post #1 above. It did come as rather a surprise to both me and to TrackMaster personnel, as in fact nothing of the sort was ever contemplated by me or discussed by us. Many more people use the older TMPP data format than just Speculator, Validator or Synthesis Sartin users, and Jim at TrackMaster informs me they have no intention of changing the data format (and will confirm the same to anyone who writes, but you really don't have to waste your or his time). I myself have no future interest in that older file format - RDSS does not use it, and it works fine as it is for the older DOS software.

So Tim, just continue using the data files and the software you're using now: that would be the software I updated (Spec160 and/or Val4, and free of charge to you) after, as you say, the previous versions were rendered impotent. Though last I understood, Spec160 and Val4 are not to be mentioned on your site, so that's a little confusing. And, I'm sure no one out there is passing copyrighted Spec160 or Val4 around without asking me for it, or sending payments to the Sartin Family. That would be wrong. Right?

No worries though. Lots of other things also did not happen last week: Martians did not land, I did not lose 5 pounds, the Yankees did not advance to the World Series. Life goes on...

Ted

P.S. Tim, is it possible you are misinformed as to the pricing of RDSS? It really is only $100 per year, or free if you have an unlimited data plan, not $500 per year as I once heard mentioned. It takes 5 years to pay the same fee as what Spec160 last sold for, or longer for what Validator originally sold for, what to speak of Black Magic, HSH, Jcapper, etc, etc. If $100 per year is a price 'none of us want to spend' for software at least as good or better than Spec and Val, perhaps you need to check your attitudes towards money and value and compensation for effort.