--- Forwarded Message from [log in to unmask] (Gordon Hartig) ---

>Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2000 10:24:12 -0500
>Subject: Tandberg
>To: [log in to unmask]
>From: [log in to unmask] (Gordon Hartig)

        I agree with the earlier comment that Tandberg's manuals leave a lot to
be desired, but I do think the IS10 is easy to use.  I have written out my
own instruction sheets for various features, and my student employees have
learned how to use the console quite quickly.
        Replacement equipment is quite expensive, but the equipment is durable.
We haven't had Tandberg in for 8 years because site visits are expensive
and money is not plentiful here.  Three out of the 30 student tape decks
do not record properly, but otherwise the problems we have are minor.  I
have been trying for 3 years to get a service contract that would include
annual visits for routine maintenance, but at this point Tandberg says
they would need to come here first to assess the status of the lab and
bring it up to a condition where they could cover it in a maintenance
contract.  (This seems reasonable to me.)  If the extended warranty
includes maintenance visits, I would be tempted to go for it.
        The student tape decks do not like TDK CD Power casette tapes.  When
students use this type of tape, we get a double recording -- not really an
echo because both times the volume is approximately the same.  Perhaps the
biggest drawback to Tandberg is that our in-house technicalpeople
typically do not want to even look at the equipment because they are not
familiar with it.

>I would like any information about experience dealing with Tandberg and
>the
>quality of their customer service.  We are a private high school, but I
>would love to hear from everyone who has a Tandberg setup (especially a
>Prisma system like ours).  Also, if anyone has an opinion on their
>extended
>warranty program, that would be useful as well.


Gordon Hartig
Language Lab Coordinator
Middlesex Community College
33 Kearney Square
Lowell MA  01852
(978) 656-3358