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Minolta Dimage 7 firmware upgrade



 
 
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Old December 18th 04, 02:39 AM
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Default Minolta Dimage 7 firmware upgrade


[rec.photo.digital] Minolta Dimage 7 firmware upgrade
Friday, December 17, 2004
From: Peter Blaise

Hi www.dcamera.biz,

On the one hand, I concur - it would also be in Minolta's best
interests, marketing savvy wise - to upgrade any Minolta customer on
demand, especially if it can be a simple web download.

On the other hand, in Minolta's defense, they do upgrade free within a
version number (v1 to v1.2), and, like all other software developers,
only charge for a version upgrade (v1 to v2).

Look at computers. You buy a Dell, Gateway or Micron or whatever, and
it comes with software - an operating system, say v95. Every few
months there are patches, but no upgrades. Later, there a new version
for that operating system, say, v98 or XP, "that fixes everything wrong
and should have come with it in the first place" and although everyone
expects and wants it free, it costs something - it's not free.

Same with our cameras now that they are really computers, only there is
no competition for a supplier - Minolta is out only supplier. We buy a
Minolta Dimage 7 with Minolta v1 operating system, and we get patches
up through 1.43 or somethins (and a different patch set for each
country - U, E, J ? Europe? eUrope? UK? Englang? English? Japan?
Wahtever. Then there's a version 2 and it costs. But, then there's
version 2 patches from 2 to 2.01 at no cost.

So, yes, Minolta missed an opportunity to keep owner's happy - probably
tossing out $25 to $50 or more of their future marketing funds that now
must be re-spent re-convincing someone who already WAS a Minolta
believer, but they ****d them off, and now they are not only NOT a
Minolta customer, but are probably Minolta averse.

Geesh, Minolta, what were you thinking? ... "Only from the Mind of
Minolta!?!?"

Anyway, I'm happy with my Minolta USED gear, probably more so because
of the price.

Be aware, as I am from experience, that "modern" electronic switches -
the mechanical parts of the camera - get tired.

I have a used, 5-year old Minolta Dimage 7 (s/n 1710277 Japan) that
wants to erase all my pictures - the [QV/Trash] button seems to get
stuck and go on by itself. The switch is probably worn, tired, and
dirty, and suffers from expansion and accidental internal contact due
to heat expansion (the hand area near the switch gets quite HOT). I
shut off the camera and the turn it back on again to skip having to
answer "erase yes/no?" for every picture in the current directory!
Oops! What a design! LOOSING customer data is a NO NO for the rest fo
the computer world - how can it be shuch an easy mechanical failure,
Minolta? The switch, by the way, is probably so deep in the rebuilding
of the camera that it's not economically feasable to replace it. I'll
see - maybe during other service...someday?

I also had a 1995 Minolta 600si film camera withan AEL switch that was
so worn that it was almost impossible to get it to make contact (the
opposite problem).

Both are electrical signal switch controllers, and get operated
everytime you use the camera.

My older mechanical Minolta's has no problem like this, even my X-700
"electronic" cameras never failed this way.

I'm wandering in my chat here, but my point is that everyone has a
complex set of experiences that do not perfectly overlap other people'e
experiences, and even though I resent Minolta charging for what appears
to be fixes, I cannot complain too loudly - everyone else seems to want
some money from me for upgrades, so why not Minolta, too? Is that so
bad for a company to want more money for more work?

Anyway, I'm curious about other people's experiences, so, please,
everyone, do tell! Follow up here or check out
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/minoltaphotography/ where we also share
pictures!

Peter Blaise

Konica Minolta Photogrpher
http://www.peterblaisephotography.com/

Digicam.tc wrote:
Good and bad new together: Press release from Minolta, a few notes as
follows:
------------- Quote
Ramsey, NJ (June 17, 2002) - Minolta Corporation introduces the new
Minolta DiMAGE 7 Upgrade Kit (DG7-UGK). Comprised of Minolta's new
firmware upgrade and new DiMAGE Viewer software, this upgrade kit
transforms the award-winning Minolta DiMAGE 7 into an even easier to
use and more responsive digital camera.
---------------------Unquote
NOW READ CAREFULLY
Have you ever heard a digital camera supplier selling a firmware
upgrade for their products? OK, there's one. Keep on reading:
----------------------------------Quote
Pricing for the Minolta DiMAGE 7 Upgrade Kit (including firmware
upgrade and DiMAGE Viewer) is $79.95; Firmware upgrade only is

$49.95;
DiMAGE Viewer only is $49.95. All will be available late summer 2002
on CD-ROM through Minolta Corporation's homepage eStore
(www.minoltausa.com).

-------------------------------------------------------------------Unquote

That's the Strange part..

I have no objection for the Dimage viewer utility, because you may

use
other products etc. But they are charging 50 dollars for the firmware
upgrade. They should be ashamed for that.

And imagine Minolta doing this to their loyal customers who bought

the
cameras at 1,300-1,500.- USD price range, (I'm among one of the first
customers who bought it for 1,500.- dollars), which lacked a lot of
the expected features like manual flash exposures, or lack of use of
full features of the compatible digital Minolta Flash units etc. NOW
they are charging customers 50 Dollars for a firmware upgrade, which
should have been made better in the first place.

Minolta still has time for a few months, until the firmware will be
released. I hope that they will be able to find the right way of
trying to please their loyal customers, by correcting this big
marketing mistake...

Best regards,

www.dcamera.biz


  #2  
Old December 18th 04, 02:39 AM
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


[rec.photo.digital] Minolta Dimage 7 firmware upgrade
Friday, December 17, 2004
From: Peter Blaise

Hi www.dcamera.biz,

On the one hand, I concur - it would also be in Minolta's best
interests, marketing savvy wise - to upgrade any Minolta customer on
demand, especially if it can be a simple web download.

On the other hand, in Minolta's defense, they do upgrade free within a
version number (v1 to v1.2), and, like all other software developers,
only charge for a version upgrade (v1 to v2).

Look at computers. You buy a Dell, Gateway or Micron or whatever, and
it comes with software - an operating system, say v95. Every few
months there are patches, but no upgrades. Later, there a new version
for that operating system, say, v98 or XP, "that fixes everything wrong
and should have come with it in the first place" and although everyone
expects and wants it free, it costs something - it's not free.

Same with our cameras now that they are really computers, only there is
no competition for a supplier - Minolta is out only supplier. We buy a
Minolta Dimage 7 with Minolta v1 operating system, and we get patches
up through 1.43 or somethins (and a different patch set for each
country - U, E, J ? Europe? eUrope? UK? Englang? English? Japan?
Wahtever. Then there's a version 2 and it costs. But, then there's
version 2 patches from 2 to 2.01 at no cost.

So, yes, Minolta missed an opportunity to keep owner's happy - probably
tossing out $25 to $50 or more of their future marketing funds that now
must be re-spent re-convincing someone who already WAS a Minolta
believer, but they ****d them off, and now they are not only NOT a
Minolta customer, but are probably Minolta averse.

Geesh, Minolta, what were you thinking? ... "Only from the Mind of
Minolta!?!?"

Anyway, I'm happy with my Minolta USED gear, probably more so because
of the price.

Be aware, as I am from experience, that "modern" electronic switches -
the mechanical parts of the camera - get tired.

I have a used, 5-year old Minolta Dimage 7 (s/n 1710277 Japan) that
wants to erase all my pictures - the [QV/Trash] button seems to get
stuck and go on by itself. The switch is probably worn, tired, and
dirty, and suffers from expansion and accidental internal contact due
to heat expansion (the hand area near the switch gets quite HOT). I
shut off the camera and the turn it back on again to skip having to
answer "erase yes/no?" for every picture in the current directory!
Oops! What a design! LOOSING customer data is a NO NO for the rest fo
the computer world - how can it be shuch an easy mechanical failure,
Minolta? The switch, by the way, is probably so deep in the rebuilding
of the camera that it's not economically feasable to replace it. I'll
see - maybe during other service...someday?

I also had a 1995 Minolta 600si film camera withan AEL switch that was
so worn that it was almost impossible to get it to make contact (the
opposite problem).

Both are electrical signal switch controllers, and get operated
everytime you use the camera.

My older mechanical Minolta's has no problem like this, even my X-700
"electronic" cameras never failed this way.

I'm wandering in my chat here, but my point is that everyone has a
complex set of experiences that do not perfectly overlap other people'e
experiences, and even though I resent Minolta charging for what appears
to be fixes, I cannot complain too loudly - everyone else seems to want
some money from me for upgrades, so why not Minolta, too? Is that so
bad for a company to want more money for more work?

Anyway, I'm curious about other people's experiences, so, please,
everyone, do tell! Follow up here or check out
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/minoltaphotography/ where we also share
pictures!

Peter Blaise

Konica Minolta Photogrpher
http://www.peterblaisephotography.com/

Digicam.tc wrote:
Good and bad new together: Press release from Minolta, a few notes as
follows:
------------- Quote
Ramsey, NJ (June 17, 2002) - Minolta Corporation introduces the new
Minolta DiMAGE 7 Upgrade Kit (DG7-UGK). Comprised of Minolta's new
firmware upgrade and new DiMAGE Viewer software, this upgrade kit
transforms the award-winning Minolta DiMAGE 7 into an even easier to
use and more responsive digital camera.
---------------------Unquote
NOW READ CAREFULLY
Have you ever heard a digital camera supplier selling a firmware
upgrade for their products? OK, there's one. Keep on reading:
----------------------------------Quote
Pricing for the Minolta DiMAGE 7 Upgrade Kit (including firmware
upgrade and DiMAGE Viewer) is $79.95; Firmware upgrade only is

$49.95;
DiMAGE Viewer only is $49.95. All will be available late summer 2002
on CD-ROM through Minolta Corporation's homepage eStore
(www.minoltausa.com).

-------------------------------------------------------------------Unquote

That's the Strange part..

I have no objection for the Dimage viewer utility, because you may

use
other products etc. But they are charging 50 dollars for the firmware
upgrade. They should be ashamed for that.

And imagine Minolta doing this to their loyal customers who bought

the
cameras at 1,300-1,500.- USD price range, (I'm among one of the first
customers who bought it for 1,500.- dollars), which lacked a lot of
the expected features like manual flash exposures, or lack of use of
full features of the compatible digital Minolta Flash units etc. NOW
they are charging customers 50 Dollars for a firmware upgrade, which
should have been made better in the first place.

Minolta still has time for a few months, until the firmware will be
released. I hope that they will be able to find the right way of
trying to please their loyal customers, by correcting this big
marketing mistake...

Best regards,

www.dcamera.biz


 




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