Here's something I think some of you will find of interest.

Jose
AMD users go through roof at $35 fix for K6-2 crash
Posted 18/11/98 12:38pm by Mike Magee
© 1998 Situation Publishing

Users have reacted in disbelief and fury that they will have to pay $35
for
 a
software patch which will fix problems they have with K6-2 processors.
(Story: AMD K6-2s crash with Win 95)

AMD is not making the patch, which fixes a problem in the Win95
operating
environment, available on its Web site. The reason for that is because
of
commercial considerations, a company representative confirmed today.

But the issue has prompted harsh criticism of both AMD and Microsoft.

One reader said: "If I was AMD, I'd be posting this on my site,
minimally
with
a direct link to where you can download it from Microsoft's site. AMD is

useless in this matter. Microsoft doesn't want them to put up a Win95
patch

because it wants everyone  to use Win98 instead and a patch that makes
it
work could possibly influence people to buy AMD systems with Win95
instead of Win98."

Two months ago, The Register revealed that IBM was still supplying
systems
running Windows 95 because end users either did not want to use Win98 or

were considering upgrading straight to Windows NT.
(Story: IBM offers downgrade from Win98 to Win95)

Another wrote: "The reason you can't find the patch on Microsoft's site
is
because
 they want you to pay $35 for the patch. This is outrageous because it
is a
 limitation
of their software algorithm caused by the fact that the K6 is too fast."

A senior source at AMD said: "I can't understand why there's a
commercial
issue
here for Microsoft. We try to give whatever treatment is possible for
our
end users."

However, two independent Web sites have thumbed their noses at both
Microsoft
and AMD and posted the patch on their sites. The first is at altx86 and
the

other is at pairnet.

Microsoft declined to comment on the story at press time. ®

        PCBUILD only works if you contribute. Send your messages
             to be posted to: [log in to unmask]