madia41
02-10-2002, 03:25 PM
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT WARNING NOTICE TO ALL USERS AND POTENTIAL BUYERS OF
JEPPESEN SIMCharts.
Although Jeppesen SIMChatrts v2.0 has been released some time ago (yet several
months after the release of FS2002), it appears that v1.5 is still on the
market in various countries, including France where I live.
This is probably to allow Jeppesen to get rid of its old stocks prior to
introducing the new version on the market.
SIMCharts v1.5, which is designed for both FS98 and FS2000, includes two new
features, called ChartMover and SIMTrack. As most of you probably know,
ChartMover allows you to copy on your hard drive the procedure plates for up to
10 airports, thus preventing the need of introducing each time the appropriate
CD. SIMTrack allows you to display the selected chart on the windshield with
your flightpath superimposed on it.
When selling you v1.5, Jeppesen makes you pay for having those two features
working in both FS98 and FS2000.
Yet, things are not as simple as they should be. In fact, under some
configurations using VooDoo cards, v1.5 does not work with FS2000 unless you
download from Jeppesen's support pages a corrective file called SimViewJr.dll.
At least, this was true until the introduction of SIMCharts v2.0. Now, with the
introduction of the new version, all support has disappeared for earlier
versions of SIMCharts (i.e. v1.0, v1.1 and v1.5) on Jeppesen's site. So, if you
buy v1.5 and you use one of those very uncommon video cards called VooDoo, then
there are many chances that you won't be able to use what you have payed for.
BUT THERE IS EVEN MUCH WORSE ! Imagine you have FS98 and/or FS2000 AND FS2002.
I guess many people are in this situation.
FS2002 includes some features of SIMCharts v2.0. If you install FS2002 on your
computer, this installs the components of SIMCharts v2.0 at the same time. But
SIMCharts v2.0 is not compatible with v1.5.
To be clear, if you install FS2002, then you can't use SIMCharts v1.5 any
longer. Here is exactly what Jeppesen's Product Manager Eric Anderson wrote me
when I complained about this fact :
"I've spoken to our tech support team regarding your request. I'm sorry, but
there is simply no way to run FS98, FS2000 and FS2002 and access SIMCharts v1.5
through FS98 or FS2000."
Now, remember : those guys are still selling SIMCharts v1.5 in many countries,
yet they know perfectly well that it can't work !
Here is what I wrote them :
"I think you have not been fair to your customers when you put on line the new
version of your site, on which no technical support is provided any longer for
v1.0, v1.1 and v1.5. Many people have paid for those charts without necessarily
willing to upgrade to v2.0. Indeed, as I already wrote you, you kept on selling
during several months v1.5 whilst FS2002 was already on the market, yet you
knew perfectly well that the guys who were buying those SIMCharts and who
already had bought FS2002 would be unable to use the product you were selling
them.
Keeping this highly commendable commercial practice in mind, I think the least
Jeppesen could do would be to put on line again the technical support you
provided prior to the release of v2.0. This would only be fair to those guys
who bought your products a few weeks ago, and who never have been able to use
what Jeppesen made them pay for ; don't you think so ?
Moreover, it would be honest from you to feature on your site an information
saying something like : "WARNING ! IF YOU BOUGHT SIMCharts v1.5, AND IF YOU
INSTALL FS2002 ON YOUR COMPUTER, THEN YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO USE THE SimTrack AND
THE ChartMover FEATURES OF v1.5 ANY LONGER, YET THIS IS WHAT WE MADE YOU PAY
FOR".
If you encounter any problems with SIMCharts, I only suggest that you get in
touch with this Jeppesen Product Manager at the following address :
Eric.Andersen@Jeppesen.com
Best regards to all of you fellow simmers.
Michel GERARD
JEPPESEN SIMCharts.
Although Jeppesen SIMChatrts v2.0 has been released some time ago (yet several
months after the release of FS2002), it appears that v1.5 is still on the
market in various countries, including France where I live.
This is probably to allow Jeppesen to get rid of its old stocks prior to
introducing the new version on the market.
SIMCharts v1.5, which is designed for both FS98 and FS2000, includes two new
features, called ChartMover and SIMTrack. As most of you probably know,
ChartMover allows you to copy on your hard drive the procedure plates for up to
10 airports, thus preventing the need of introducing each time the appropriate
CD. SIMTrack allows you to display the selected chart on the windshield with
your flightpath superimposed on it.
When selling you v1.5, Jeppesen makes you pay for having those two features
working in both FS98 and FS2000.
Yet, things are not as simple as they should be. In fact, under some
configurations using VooDoo cards, v1.5 does not work with FS2000 unless you
download from Jeppesen's support pages a corrective file called SimViewJr.dll.
At least, this was true until the introduction of SIMCharts v2.0. Now, with the
introduction of the new version, all support has disappeared for earlier
versions of SIMCharts (i.e. v1.0, v1.1 and v1.5) on Jeppesen's site. So, if you
buy v1.5 and you use one of those very uncommon video cards called VooDoo, then
there are many chances that you won't be able to use what you have payed for.
BUT THERE IS EVEN MUCH WORSE ! Imagine you have FS98 and/or FS2000 AND FS2002.
I guess many people are in this situation.
FS2002 includes some features of SIMCharts v2.0. If you install FS2002 on your
computer, this installs the components of SIMCharts v2.0 at the same time. But
SIMCharts v2.0 is not compatible with v1.5.
To be clear, if you install FS2002, then you can't use SIMCharts v1.5 any
longer. Here is exactly what Jeppesen's Product Manager Eric Anderson wrote me
when I complained about this fact :
"I've spoken to our tech support team regarding your request. I'm sorry, but
there is simply no way to run FS98, FS2000 and FS2002 and access SIMCharts v1.5
through FS98 or FS2000."
Now, remember : those guys are still selling SIMCharts v1.5 in many countries,
yet they know perfectly well that it can't work !
Here is what I wrote them :
"I think you have not been fair to your customers when you put on line the new
version of your site, on which no technical support is provided any longer for
v1.0, v1.1 and v1.5. Many people have paid for those charts without necessarily
willing to upgrade to v2.0. Indeed, as I already wrote you, you kept on selling
during several months v1.5 whilst FS2002 was already on the market, yet you
knew perfectly well that the guys who were buying those SIMCharts and who
already had bought FS2002 would be unable to use the product you were selling
them.
Keeping this highly commendable commercial practice in mind, I think the least
Jeppesen could do would be to put on line again the technical support you
provided prior to the release of v2.0. This would only be fair to those guys
who bought your products a few weeks ago, and who never have been able to use
what Jeppesen made them pay for ; don't you think so ?
Moreover, it would be honest from you to feature on your site an information
saying something like : "WARNING ! IF YOU BOUGHT SIMCharts v1.5, AND IF YOU
INSTALL FS2002 ON YOUR COMPUTER, THEN YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO USE THE SimTrack AND
THE ChartMover FEATURES OF v1.5 ANY LONGER, YET THIS IS WHAT WE MADE YOU PAY
FOR".
If you encounter any problems with SIMCharts, I only suggest that you get in
touch with this Jeppesen Product Manager at the following address :
Eric.Andersen@Jeppesen.com
Best regards to all of you fellow simmers.
Michel GERARD