software opinion

I just wanted to give the Corsair folks a final opportunity to provide me with any updates before I submit a product review at a very reputable website in which I am a very active member. I would also encourage anyone on this site to submit to me any findings they have encountered (both good and bad) so that I can include this information in my review. As most people could tell, I am pretty frustrated with Corsair ATM, but I have every intention on cooling off over a couple of days before submitting the product review, so that I am able to submit something that is more fact than opinion.

 

As of now, the biggest problem with this product isn't the fact that it has bugs. It's understandable that a new product is going to have issues, and that's perfectly fine. What's unacceptable in my opinion is the lack of accurate and adequit feedback provided by Corsair reps on this site. Telling customers that an update is coming soon, and not replying for months on in and not providing any update whatsover besides "we'll get back to you soon" over and over is not becoming of such a reputable company. I must chock this up to lack of support of this individual product, and will weight this heavily when addressing the various bugs that I and others have witnessed with the Link.

 

If the moderators find this post to be unhelpful or meaningless and decide to edit/delete it, bare in mind that you are only robbing the community and yourselves of an opportunity to try to make this right. I am in no way in direct violation of the forum rules, and only intend on providing people with accurate information regarding this product. If I can't do it here, I'll do it on other websites. Work with me here, please.

but how do you REALLY feel??

I feel sad. :(

Looks like the moderators pulled this post from another post and merged it with a different thread. Case in point, they buried this OP. I just brought it back to the surface. Keep the inputs coming please.

Plain and simple FACT it does only (20%opinion) of what is advertised.

Fact it has had major software issues form the get go.

Fact weekly we get told "soon"

Fact support has been week besides RMA and the usual answer "soon" which is not admins fault.

Fact the unit does not do what its supposed to do which is control fan speed, unless its a corsair fan.

Fact people are getting fed up.

Opinion this is the best and worst product, the idea was great but this major company jumped the gun and sold a item that was not really tested besides in the lab or on paper.

Fact Corsair does a great job when it comes to RMA and phone service is great also.

Fact support for this item or care is poor at best.

Opinion I don't think the higher ups know whats going on down here otherwise they would refocus their energy, unfortunately we don't have access to higher ups to inform them

Fact I dont like talking bad but when no resolution has been made or any info give out for months besides "soon" after spending 150$ makes me feel robbed.

Oh, wow they took all my gripes and slapped them into one thread. At least they didn't delete them, so I guess that's one thumb up. If I could just get an update from them, that would be two...

 

I've just been putting off doing this product review because they keep saying there will be an update to no avail. I'm just starting to get to a point where I'm not sure I should wait any longer. At what point in a time is a new product NOT a new product? In the tech world, 6 months after release IMO. We are getting dangerously close to that point here.

Okay, thanks for the reply. I'm referring to all of the current known issues that are discussed on this forum. I suppose if I were to be more precise:

 

1. 3rd party fan control issues.

2. LED/FAN profiles reverting back to first saved profile.

3. Link software properly starting as a startup service/process.

4. Link expansion items such as more LED kits, fan controllers, LED controllers being available for purchase.

5. Actual voltage control for non-PWM fans (which seems to be the 3rd party fan problem)

6. Promises of situation updates by Corsair Link reps, which go without reply for over a month.

7. When will this product be available for purchase from other Corsair product distributers such as Newegg or Microcenter?

 

There are more issues that other's have reported, but these are issues that I and many others have personally seen. I don't know who/what is to blame for any/all of these issues, but I honestly believe them to be fair issues that should be accounted for when submitting a product review.

 

First off, I think it would be a wise idea to create a sticky thread in this forum that has all the current known issues lumped into one so that people can more easily navigate to this page and better understand the product and it's limitations before purchasing. This is only fair to the consumer, and I don't believe it's asking for too much. Many other producers have similar threads on thier forum, simply advising users/owners of the known issues with the product. At the very least that lets us know, in one simple post, that Corsair is aware of the problem and is looking into it. I'm a realist, and I don't expect an ETA on the fixes, but in previous threads some reps have gotten in the habit of saying "soon" but soon turned out to be much later, and is still not addressed.

 

Secondly, my post is meant not only to hopefully encourage organization on this forum for the customer's convenience, but also to notify Corsair that I have been putting together a review of this product, and right now, if I were asked whether or not to purchase it, I would say no, not at this time. I would advise them to look into other options or wait it out and see how the product developes. I'm sure I share many people's concerns that this might turn into one of those products that Corsair might just decide to stop support on it because the problem is too costly to fix and the rewards are not worth it. Nobody here wants to see that, because they likely already own it.

 

I'm looking for a direct quote on these matters, and if I can't get them on this thread, then I am forced to go with what I'm reading in the other threads, which is mostly a lot of "We don't know yet"s and "We are working hard to provide a fix that will be coming soon", but soon never gets here. If necessary, I would be more than happy to wait a couple of weeks for some sort of firmware/software update before writing my final review, but this product is teatering on the edge of being considered "new" anymore, and I don't want to wait too long, as writing a review on an old product seems to be counterproductive in my opinion.

 

I truly hope you have taken the time to read my post in it's entirety. I, as many other users, truly do appreciate the hardwork you guys at Corsair do for us, but many of us are getting pretty frustrated at this point because we are being asked to wait far longer than we really should be. I'm certain the problems are not simple to solve, and I'm sure that there are other administrative/corporate hold ups that are playing part in this fiasco. I don't expect Corsair reps to disclose those sorts of details, but a straight answer I can quote would be greately appreciate.

 

Ultimately, my question is where do we stand with the above listed problems, and any other known issues?

Thank you, good sir. Two more questions, if you would:

 

-Is there a goal/deadline for release of the next software/firmware updates (even if you can't tell us, are you able to at least answer yes or no), and is this deadline within the next month?

 

-Could we get these Q&As in a sticky thread? I'd create the thread myself, but IMHO it would probably make more sense if a moderator started it and kept it up to date as people posted to it. I for one would be incredibly pleased if there was a "current known issues" thread, with short little blurbs just letting us know if there is a proven work around or that you guys are working on it for next release.

 

Thanks again for taking the time to sum this up. I'm going to hold off for a few more weeks on my review, as it seems that an aweful lot of the problems are going to be adressed in the next update, and I really truly do want to write a positive review about this product. This is the best fan/LED solution available on the market in my opinion, if we can only get it working as advertised. We'll see you about the forums.

 

And please, if anyone else wants to submit any other known issues, post them here. If I can't get a sticky thread going, I'll do my best to sum up known issues for the community as they come in. I know there are a few other problems floating out there, but the ones I've listed seem to be common between multiple users. If we aren't talking about them, they wont get fixed. Thanks everyone!

Which reputable site will you be posting this review?

I noticed you already posted some thoughts on Overclock.net forums that same day as your original post, but I can't find any other reviews by you.

http://www.overclock.net/t/1206365/corsair-link-review-and-installation#post_16995750

Yes, my intentions are to write an informative review on OCN. I'm also putting together an "Official Corsair Link" Thread afterwards, assuming someone else doesn't jump on it. There just isn't that many people running around with the Link yet. I'll post a link when I do the review (assuming that it isn't in violation of this sites rules). I haven't written any reviews on OCN yet because I haven't beaten anyone else to it on any products that I have followed closely. I know there is a review on the Link there already, but the review doesn't really discuss the key points of the product as it should be presented to potential consumers.

 

I'm not sure if posting links to OCN is considered a violation, since they have sponsors that are in direct competition with Corsair.

FYI - The Corsair Links are now available at Performance PCS (http://www.performance-pcs.com), I saw it last night.

 

RAM GUY - thanks for making efforts to follow-up on the product manager. Like many has said, we think this product is great and have many potentials. Hope to get the updates soon as well the accessories.

Awesome, thanks for the link, LXS. This is a good sign imo. :D

 

A: Asked and answered a few times sorry but this not something I can address from Tech support however I expect an update from the Product manager soon.

 

 

A: This is one for Cool Guy and I will ask him if there is an update now that he is back from Over sea's

 

A: I am sorry about that but it is a new product and it is not uncommon for new products. I seem to remember it taking Creative Labs a year to come out with new software to support Windows 2000 after its release and almost 2 years for Windows XP after its release.

 

Ram Guy,

 

Your example here is very telling. Creative Labs is also primarily a hardware company. Lots of hardware-focused companies do a "just barely good enough" job with software. I used to think that Corsair didn't match that description. I may have been wrong.

 

Software-focused companies take weeks or months, at most, to come out with updated software when there is a new release of Windows. And many times, the software company has the necessary update when the new version of Windows is announced for general availability. That's one reason why Microsoft issues pre-releases of Windows for developers.

 

And some hardware companies, e.g. HP (in printers) do a reasonable job here. If you want to have a "superior" brand image, like HP in printers, then Corsair needs to (1) put more resources into fixing the Link software and (2) swear to each other that you will never again repeat this fiasco. Seriously.

Right. So your posts are not official responses? Then wth am I even doing here. Later!

 

Edit, and just to clarify. This forum doesn't require a log in to view it, which means the posts are public. That means anyone can quote anything from this site and use it as a source. I don't have to ask marketing for permission to quote this website, and Corsair claims this forum as thier official support forum. SOoooo, official or not, it is what it is. I'll be sure to simply not use the word "official", as I wouldn't want to cause any confusion. If this is a problem, you might want to go ahead and delete this entire thread now. I'll take a hint.

Right. So your posts are not official responses? Then wth am I even doing here. Later!

 

Edit, and just to clarify. This forum doesn't require a log in to view it, which means the posts are public. That means anyone can quote anything from this site and use it as a source. I don't have to ask marketing for permission to quote this website, and Corsair claims this forum as thier official support forum. SOoooo, official or not, it is what it is. I'll be sure to simply not use the word "official", as I wouldn't want to cause any confusion. If this is a problem, you might want to go ahead and delete this entire thread now. I'll take a hint.

 

I think what RG means is that when someone asks for an official quote they talk to an official press liason of some type who talk to all departments and form an official press release or comment. Ram Guy, while knowing a lot and having a bunch of experience, is in tech support, not engineering, software development, firmware development, R&D, customer service, distribution, etc. His job isn't to speak to the press, it's to help people with Corsair products.

wow, just wow. You guys trying to threaten when he comes to you before posting an opinion on a thread. Review or not, it has already been proven in court that posting impressions of a product, providing no malice intent, is 100% legal. So long as he keeps it professional and speaks to facts. He is correct about your public forum you advertise as official support and like it or not, you are an official spokesperson from a legal stand point when you respond as an employee for the company (if your lawyers don't agree I suggest you find some with more experience in this arena).

 

Bare in mind you have offered promises on your product page that you have not kept and have not offered a "timely solution to" based on a "reasonable customers expectation". Careful, Ram Guy, you are treading in an interesting territory and someone might have the means to choose to take advantage of it.

 

When patience is wearing thin don't attack, assume responsibility. for the most part you have done this, but sometimes your emotions appear to get in the way. Just because everyone that buys this product doesn't know they can come and post their complaints doesn't mean they don't have any. some consumers buy a product and don't even know about these forums being used for support in an effort to save money on labor.

 

Oh and the not properly starting in windows services is widely known and is a programming issue.

Kl2amer, where are you seeing threats or anything regarding the law?

You are a moderator. Your are not here to clarify the comments made by an employee of corsair or speak for them. Nor are you to question a post in an effort to stir things up because you lack the understanding of what has occured, wether it be by education or intelligence. Any reasonable person clearly understands the tone and intent of the posts made that I referenced. It is not necessary to back pedal and you are not doing a service to Corsair with your post. Sometimes less is more.

Anyone else with questions regarding Link can contact me via PM. This thread is now closed.

You are a moderator. Your are not here to clarify the comments made by an employee of corsair or speak for them. Nor are you to question a post in an effort to stir things up because you lack the understanding of what has occured, wether it be by education or intelligence. Any reasonable person clearly understands the tone and intent of the posts made that I referenced. It is not necessary to back pedal and you are not doing a service to Corsair with your post. Sometimes less is more.

I'm sorry you feel that I am stepping outside the boundaries of a moderator, but if anyone would know what I can and cannot do here, it would be me, the oldest member of the forum aside from the founder. That alone gives me more than enough experience on this particular forum to know what I can and cannot do. In this particular case, being a moderator doesn't even come into play.

 

 

As a member of this forum, when I see person A (in this case Ram Guy) say something that I believe was misconstrued by person B (Arimis5226), but I think I can clear it up, as a member of this forum, I have the right to speak my opinion on what I think he was actually trying to say. So, I did. Yes, I know it was my first post to the thread, but I thought my two cents would help. Now in this particular instance my opinion did help, because person A said I was correct.

 

 

Now, we're in a similar situation. Person C (namely you, Kl2amer) is stating his opinion, but I just can't quite see where it's coming from, so I asked a question to get clarification. You chose not to answer it and basically told me what I can and cannot do as a member of this forum. You believe that "Any reasonable person clearly understands the tone and intent of the posts made that I referenced". You didn't directly reference a post. One might assume that you were referencing the one that immediately preceded yours.

 

 

Assuming that, I see no threats. One may somehow view Ram Guy's comment "And I would have to direct you to our Forum Rules which you agreed to when you joined" in that way, but personally I just don't see it. That's why I asked you to clarify your post. My best guess is that he posted that in reference to something he removed from his rough draft of his post? Who knows, only he can answer that.

 

 

In otherwords, anything and everything can be up for debate. If you have a question about someone's post, by all means please ask them to clarify.

A: Well you have to consider the number of people that are not posting or stating they have problems. While I see and agree there are a few that have had issues its not every person who has the Link installed has had an issue. But I see a few common issues that seem to be system related or specific to a certain configuration. IE:

With Third Party Fan compatibility; (Will or should be addressed on the next release.) being one of the more common complaints. There are other issues which I will let Cool Guy address. But the next release should solve most if not all of the most common issues that have been reported

On this note please remember just because you don't have more people posting does not mean the issue is not more wide spread. People actually search, read and choose not to post same issue if many have all ready posted same thing. Seeing that you need some skill just to install the product I think most people are wise enough to search for a forum if they have a issue, but if the issue has been greatly covered, they save their time not to make another redundant post especially if it has been noted as a bug or addressed.

 

Next I also felt like Corsair could have answered differently, even though you think your being attacked your response In my opinion did seem out of line. Its the job of Admins and employees to diffuse any tense situation with cool judgment, rather then adding fuel to the fire, or locking the thread. This coming from 3 time forum admin of hostile gaming sites.

 

Finally this is a direct quote from your products page: Our basic kit includes the Corsair Link Commander — the heart of any Corsair Link-enabled PC — and a Corsair Link Cooling Node that gives you desktop control of up to five PWM or DC case fans.

This is considered false advertising and possibly fraud. You continue to sell a product your description states fans "not corsair fans or xyz" but all fans general term, yet your product cannot do what its main intent was, which is control up to 5 case fans non specific. So legally you guys are in the wrong on so manyl levels that you should choose you words wisely. I think Corsair has well exceeded what would be considered a normal time to correct the issue. The issue around the whole selling point "fan controll" People expect minor bugs with any new product eg. leds will not turn green or fan speed reports incorrectly but does function at correct speed.

For the record this is not a threat just a opinion, and a legit one at that.

If you would like me to justify fraud, I would be more then happy to but rather end my post on a good note. ;): and keep it tame.