flying_silverad
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2002
- Messages
- 3,168
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Gentleman, I have taken it upon myself to obtain, through the French underground, a copy of what appears to be a software product offered on Ebay by a gentleman we will refer to as AESRC. It retails for around 15.00 and bidding for this item starts at a modest 9.99.
What Is Advertised>"***Earth Space Research Systems***
has a Model Rocketry Toolbox CDRom for PC's.
It works with DOS,Windows 9x, NT and ME, ( not for Mac or XP).
There are more than 50+ programs (and growing!!) that will keep you busy when the weather for flying is poor!
It includes programs for rocket and fin design, parachute calculations, flight drag, weight, etc."
it goes one by saying...
"This is the ultimate rocketry toolbox for any Rocketeer!
Design a rocket and run it through the simulator to be sure it performs the way you want.
You can use it for Estes, Centuri, Aerotech, Custom, Vaughn Bro. and many others."
What It Does> After receiving the item in question, I placed it into my computer and quickly noted there was no Plug-N-Play activation. So I then began the task of opening the software via the "run" option on my OS. But wait...where is the application file to start this beast? There is none Where is the notes or read me file to guide this possible future rocketeer? There is None. Well off to the "My Computer" Icon. So I began to unfold this boxed and bagged, Dr. Seuss, cat in the hat, green eggs and ham file system. File after file of not very useful folders I tripped over and dead ended. There are bits and pieces of shareware, simware and slightly stolen (RocSim) software here there and everywhere. I quit.
Have I been taken? It appears so. I continue to open folder after folder of bits and pieces of fin diagrams, parachute calculations, sim programs. But there just isn't any real navigation here. I thought I was getting a program of some kind. I was wrong. It's just folder after folder fragments and loosely arranged program
Summary> Let me put the comedy show on hold for a second and get serious. This CD was compiled by extracting and copying other software through the internet and other sources then burned on a CD and sold as "software". That's it. There is no navigation logic. It is not easy to navigate, nor are there any directions on how to do so. There are some useful tools (if you have the patience of a saint) but one would be better off investing thier money in either RocSim or Spacecad or using the other free tools available on the internet for the rocket needs.
Two Final Notes- First, I am not a lawyer. I have a few years of college and it probably shows. But I am a little put off when someone takes a program, like RocSim, and copies it on a CD then sells it on Ebay. If RocSim has a Copyright, then I would think there is a major problem here.
Second, I give it an overall score of 1.25 out of 5.0. The score breaks down as follows:
Packaging-------------5
Program Quality------0
Ease of navigation---0
Technical Support----0
Total Score------------1.25
Thanks
J.R.
https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3111517676&category=2567
What Is Advertised>"***Earth Space Research Systems***
has a Model Rocketry Toolbox CDRom for PC's.
It works with DOS,Windows 9x, NT and ME, ( not for Mac or XP).
There are more than 50+ programs (and growing!!) that will keep you busy when the weather for flying is poor!
It includes programs for rocket and fin design, parachute calculations, flight drag, weight, etc."
it goes one by saying...
"This is the ultimate rocketry toolbox for any Rocketeer!
Design a rocket and run it through the simulator to be sure it performs the way you want.
You can use it for Estes, Centuri, Aerotech, Custom, Vaughn Bro. and many others."
What It Does> After receiving the item in question, I placed it into my computer and quickly noted there was no Plug-N-Play activation. So I then began the task of opening the software via the "run" option on my OS. But wait...where is the application file to start this beast? There is none Where is the notes or read me file to guide this possible future rocketeer? There is None. Well off to the "My Computer" Icon. So I began to unfold this boxed and bagged, Dr. Seuss, cat in the hat, green eggs and ham file system. File after file of not very useful folders I tripped over and dead ended. There are bits and pieces of shareware, simware and slightly stolen (RocSim) software here there and everywhere. I quit.
Have I been taken? It appears so. I continue to open folder after folder of bits and pieces of fin diagrams, parachute calculations, sim programs. But there just isn't any real navigation here. I thought I was getting a program of some kind. I was wrong. It's just folder after folder fragments and loosely arranged program
Summary> Let me put the comedy show on hold for a second and get serious. This CD was compiled by extracting and copying other software through the internet and other sources then burned on a CD and sold as "software". That's it. There is no navigation logic. It is not easy to navigate, nor are there any directions on how to do so. There are some useful tools (if you have the patience of a saint) but one would be better off investing thier money in either RocSim or Spacecad or using the other free tools available on the internet for the rocket needs.
Two Final Notes- First, I am not a lawyer. I have a few years of college and it probably shows. But I am a little put off when someone takes a program, like RocSim, and copies it on a CD then sells it on Ebay. If RocSim has a Copyright, then I would think there is a major problem here.
Second, I give it an overall score of 1.25 out of 5.0. The score breaks down as follows:
Packaging-------------5
Program Quality------0
Ease of navigation---0
Technical Support----0
Total Score------------1.25
Thanks
J.R.
https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3111517676&category=2567
