Last June I purchased an anesthesia database derived from a popular textbook and distributed by one of the software houses mentioned in the review by Feisal Adatia and Philippe Bedard.1 In February, one day after the guarantee on my handheld computer expired, the unit also expired.
After purchasing a new unit, I performed a “hotsync” and successfully transferred all material from the old handheld to the new unit, except the anesthesia database mentioned above. Because the device ID of the new unit was different from that of the old one, it was impossible to unlock and transfer the program.
I telephoned the company long distance but was unable to reach a human being. My request for a return call, left on the company's voice-mail system, produced no response, and I've had no reply to 2 e-forms sent to the company.
It may be reasonable for a software distributor to prevent a user from downloading a book from one CD-ROM to several different handheld units. However, these programs, although sold on cheap media, cost the user more than the equivalent paper-based product, and the latter can be used for years without the need to purchase a new licence whenever one upgrades one's reading glasses.
David J. Openshaw Anesthetist Carbonear General Hospital Carbonear, Nfld.
Reference
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