rec.autos.simulators

--From: VRF Corp.
--Sent: Monday, April 24, 2000 10:29 AM
--Subject: The long awaited update on the TFS Tactile Feedback System!
--
--
--Hello!  You are receiving this email because you have purchased
--the TFS Tactile Feedback System.  This email should do well in
--answering your questions about the status of your order.  If you
--have received this email in error, or wish to be removed from our
--early adopter email list, and/or wish to cancel the order that
--corresponds to your email address, send an email
--and we'll take care of it right away!  Thank you.
--
--I am Craig Thorner, the founder and president of VRF Corp., and
--the inventor of the TFS Tactile Feedback System that you have
--purchased.  As always, I am the person who is responsible for
--getting this system to you, and, in the recent past, for not
--getting your system to you if you are still waiting.  You can
--quite safely blame me for all delays you have experienced.  Over
--the past few weeks email has been coming in so fast that we've
--been able to make only very infrequent replies to incoming mail.
--If you have sent in mail that has not received a reply, please
--bear with us while we try to get caught up.
--
--First, let me offer my sincere apologies to all of you who have
--been reluctantly and patiently waiting for your v1.0 system.
--Rest assured we are doing all we can to get our situation under
--control.  If you are waiting for delivery of a v1.0 system,
--please send an email to make sure we're on top of
--things where your order is concerned.  More details on the v1.0
--and v2.0 status follows.
--
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--HERE IS THE BAD NEWS ABOUT THE AVAILABILITY OF THE v2.0 CONTROLLER
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--
--The bad news is the v2.0 controllers are not yet in mass
--production.  Our previously estimated April ship date has proven
--to be too aggressive to meet.  Some critical components are still
--not yet delivered, and we can't go into mass production until
--certain milestones come to pass.  You have our word that we are
--working day and night, 7 days a week, to get the v2.0 system
--launched as soon as possible.  We will begin to issue bi-weekly
--updates on the status of the v2.0 system to keep you better
--informed.  Progress is being made daily in all areas of bringing
--the system into mass production, and immediately thereafter,
--delivering it to you.  The situation has matured to the point
--where, when we next announce an expected ship date, we should
--meet it. We will have a new estimated ship date soon.  We will do
--our best to not create false expectations again.  Nobody is more
--disappointed than us about the v2.0 delays.
--
--
------------------------------------------------
--HERE IS MORE NEWS, NOT NECESSARILY GOOD OR BAD
------------------------------------------------
--
--Here is a quick recap:  If you have elected to wait for the v2.0
--system, the price you will be charged when the v2.0 system goes
--out to you will be $180 (plus shipping).  If you have elected to
--take the v1.0 system before the v2.0 electronic controller is
--ready, the price you will be charged when your v1.0 system goes
--out to you will be $180 (plus shipping).  Your price will stay at
--$180 with the free upgrade (shipping charge only) to the v2.0
--electronic controller when it becomes available. In other words,
--you will be charged $180 for the TFS Tactile Feedback System.
--
--With no affect upon your price, due to excessive and overwhelming
--demand, we are increasing our price to $225 from the introductory
--price of $180. However, as an early adopter, you price will stay
--at $180, no matter what you decide to do.
--
--As of this writing, we have pulled the order form on our website
--down to prevent a further backlog from developing.  This is what
--we tried to avoid at all costs, but, we have no alternative if we
--are to get a handle on the situation that has developed.
--
--Make no mistake about it:  We are thrilled about the interest in
--our system. We just were not prepared for the overwhelmingly
--positive reaction, given that we've made no efforts at
--advertising or promotion (other than our web site). We still are
--not registered with the major search engines, have made no press
--releases of any kind, and are withholding many exciting
--announcements for fear of generating publicity that would surely
--distract us from getting the v2.0 system out.  We'll take care of
--all this when our production capacity matures, but for now, we
--are forced to keep a low profile.
--
--
------------------
--INTELLIVIBE NEWS
------------------
--
--intelliVIBE has been adopted by Descent 3 and Jane's F/A-18 with
--our new developer interface that is compatible with a new piece
--of software called the "intelliVIBE Control Panel" that we'll be
--distributing free to all our customers.  The first active
--component in the intelliVIBE Control Panel is the Falcon 4.0
--intelliVIBE module.  We expect to begin distributing it shortly.
--The intelliVIBE Control Panel has amazing new capabilities we can
--now introduce into games and sims that offer intelliVIBE support.
--It is now incredibly simple for software developers to make
--intelliVIBE active in their software, and we have tremendous
--flexibility in what we can make intelliVIBE do.  The entire
--structure of the intelliVIBE Control Panel is designed to allow
--you to control how everything feels during intelliVIBE ***
--sessions, should you like to change the settings we give you.  Of
--course you can simply use it as is, with no adjustments at all.
--It is up to you!
--
--What does this mean for you?  It means in the future we can
--reasonably expect every self-respecting software developer to
--make intelliVIBE active in their offerings.  The intelliVIBE
--Control Panel removes nearly all the burden from the software
--developer.  Even better, the nature of the intelliVIBE Control
--Panel is that we can take your suggestions for what you'd like to
--see, and we can implement your wish lists if we've missed
--something of value.  It also means that we can continually
--improve pre-existing intelliVIBE modules as we flesh out our
--software library.  Great things await!
--
--
-----------------------------------------
--MORE INFORMATION WILL BE COMING SHORTLY
-----------------------------------------
--
--Please bear with us as we manage the v2.0 launch and handle the
--v1.0 shipments that have fallen behind.  We strongly reccommend
--that you take delivery of the v1.0 system if you don't wish to
--wait any longer.  You can't lose with the v1.0 system.  When you
--get the v2.0 controller, you'll have a v2.0 system in all
--respects.  Only very minor changes have been made to system
--outside of the electronic controller.  You will definitely have
--the v1.0 system sooner than the v2.0 once we get caught up (which
--is our priority, second only to keeping as much forward pressure
--on the v2.0 launch as possible).
--
--In the next update we will include user reactions to the v1.0
--system so you can see what customers are thinking. We can't tell
--you how pleased we are with the reaction to the TFS. If you are a
--current v1.0 user and wish to make a statement that we can
--include in the next update, please send an email with your
--thoughts. Any and all contributions will be
--greatly appreciated!
--
---------------------------------------
--THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED PATIENCE
---------------------------------------
--
--Thank you for your continued patience.  It is our intention to
--create the best *** peripheral the industry has ever seen.
--There is no doubt once you have this system, you will never want
--to return to *** without it.  On that you have my sincere promise.
--
--More information will will coming shortly...
--
--Craig Thorner
--Founder and President, VRF Corp., and inventor of the TFS Tactile
--Feedback System
--
--
--
--

> > You'd probably want to take the loose change out of your pockets . . .
and
> > move the cat.

> Don't forget haemorrhoids, you don't want those with this thing. (although
> it might enhance gameplay-intensity...)

> Ice D

>>Well since your not sitting on a speaker but rather on electric motors
>>it's pretty quiet. but the vibrations it produces might make a noise by
>>rattling things.

>Sounds like something I wouldn't want my wife to find out about....

> >>Well since your not sitting on a speaker but rather on electric motors
> >>it's pretty quiet. but the vibrations it produces might make a noise by
> >>rattling things.

> >Sounds like something I wouldn't want my wife to find out about....

> Well, at least she'd be *happy* about one of your purchases...<g>

> Eldred
> --
> Tiger Stadium R.I.P. 1912-1999
> Own Grand Prix Legends?  Goto  http://gpl.gamestats.com/vroc

> Never argue with an idiot.  He brings you down to his level, then beats
you
> with experience...

>> >Sounds like something I wouldn't want my wife to find out about....

>> Well, at least she'd be *happy* about one of your purchases...<g>

>> Eldred
>> --
>> Tiger Stadium R.I.P. 1912-1999
>> Own Grand Prix Legends?  Goto  http://gpl.gamestats.com/vroc

>> Never argue with an idiot.  He brings you down to his level, then beats
>you
>> with experience...

>If it's artificially reproduced sensations you desire, turn your speakers
>up, sit on 'em, making sure you wear your old trousers, and play away!

>P.S.  I haven't tried this, honest, the idea is gleaned from Howard Stern.

>Happy Sensations.

>Iain.