Today, I had the misfortune

PeteS wrote:
> to visit the NXP (nee Philips) website. I am replacing a legacy part
> and needed the original datasheet for comparison purposes. It's not a
> website, it's marketdroid mental masturbation.
>
> We've had these rants before, of course, but I'm getting to the point
> of writing an open letter to semi mfrs - on the lines of 'just give
> me the content'. There's a place for javascript (I like the way TI
> and OnSemi [for example] use it for the parameterisable lists), but
> don't make the entire website non-navigable without it; and don't
> make me use Flash.

What is wrong with that? Can't you selectively enable those for this site?

> I use FF2 with NoScript and nxp.com is not navigable at all unless I
> enable javascript and Flash (ugh).
>
> I wrote them a nastygram (which will no doubt be ignored). It's a
> pretty website for the investors and an excuse when they start to go
> down the tubes "...but the website looks so nice with all those
> animations. It's not our fault nobody buys our products..." where in
> reality it _is_ their fault. Nobody buys the products because the
> website is not targeted at it's proper audience.
>

I really like the feature to download all relevant literature nicely zipped 
up, so everything is together and the file is named as the part number. It 
is also smaller if you are on dial-up.

> I made a final decision today to not bother looking for their parts
> any more - there's nothing they have I can't get elsewhere,
> especially in the original design stage where I can choose parts
> based on availability, functionality and decent documentation
> (another pet peeve).
> ok - rant mode off (for now). We now return to our regular
> programming.
> [X-posted]
>
> Cheers
>
> PeteS

You should learn how to come fastest to the desired docs, which is typing 
the part no into google. I never visit those home pages, go directly to the 
product folder.

Actually it is one of my favourite sites. No registration, pretty fast, good 
search, no nasty renaming of datasheets with cryptic names (this bothers me 
much more than JS).
IMHO you seem anyway not to specify hardware parts, rather being a 
complainer like this Jorg. Maybe you should apply for a job there.
-- 
ciao Ban
Apricale, Italy 

On Tue, 14 Nov 2006 23:46:57 +0000 Eeyore
<rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote in Message id:
<455A5571.10F27386@hotmail.com>:

>
>
>PeteS wrote:
>
>> to visit the NXP (nee Philips) website. I am replacing a legacy part and
>> needed the original datasheet for comparison purposes. It's not a
>> website, it's marketdroid mental masturbation.
>
>I agree.
>
>It insisted on me registering just to be able to view *datasheets* yet the
>registration with my password didn't arrive for ~ 12 hours by which time I'd
>found the data elsewhere and generally lost interest.

Hmmm. Curious, I just downloaded a datasheet without registering. What
part were you looking for?

For websites that DO require web registration, I recommend using the
Firefox browser with the BugMeNot extension. (In fact, I recommend dumping
Internet Exploder entirely :) I just went to the site, and BugMeNot worked
perfectly!

For most sites all you need to do is right click on the login, and it will
supply the credentials needed to get into the site. To get both of these
FREE programs see:
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/
http://roachfiend.com/archives/2005/02/07/bugmenot/

Tom Lucas wrote:
> "PeteS" <peter.smith8380@ntlworld.com> wrote in message 
> news:s%r6h.14349$yz3.7358@newsfe4-gui.ntli.net...
>> Meindert Sprang wrote:
>>> "PeteS" <peter.smith8380@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
>>> news:Hor6h.12804$yz3.11226@newsfe4-gui.ntli.net...
>>>> mrdarrett@gmail.com wrote:
>>>> I'm back from vacation (I live in the UK nowadays :) - I was trying 
>>>> to
>>>> deal with something a cow-orker hosed up.
>>>>
>>>> I went to the highlands and sampled many a fine malt - now I'm 
>>>> wishing I
>>>> was still doing it ;)
>>> The last time I visited a Morrisons they stocked a pretty decent 
>>> selection
>>> of malts. No need to go to the highlands for that.....
>>>
>>> Meindert
>>>
>>>
>> Buying a malt at Morrisons vs tasting it at the distillery is rather 
>> like the difference between buying a fish at Morrisons and getting it 
>> at the dock off the boat.
>>
>> Cheers
>>
>> PeteS
> 
> Not long now until the most Northerly Scotch is ready for consumption - 
> late this year for the three year old and late 2008 for the 5 year old. 
> Check out http://shetlandwhisky.com/index-1.html for details. It's 
> pretty dear to pre-order and the taxman will want another cut on 
> delivery but it would be good to have a few bottles of the first run 
> (which might become a good investment - how much would a bottle of the 
> first Talisker go for?)
> 

3 year old whiskey is going to be pretty rough - that's the minimum age 
it has to be before you can even legally call it whiskey.  There are 
very few self-respecting malts that are less than 8 years old.

> I grew up in Shetland so I must declare an interest in plugging the 
> local booze. I can also recommend White Wife and Simmer Dim real ales 
> http://www.valhallabrewery.co.uk/ as worth a try if you come across 
> them. 
> 
> 

"David Brown" <david@westcontrol.removethisbit.com> wrote in message 
news:455af372$0$8098$8404b019@news.wineasy.se...
> Tom Lucas wrote:
>> "PeteS" <peter.smith8380@ntlworld.com> wrote in message 
>> news:s%r6h.14349$yz3.7358@newsfe4-gui.ntli.net...
>>> Meindert Sprang wrote:
>>>> "PeteS" <peter.smith8380@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
>>>> news:Hor6h.12804$yz3.11226@newsfe4-gui.ntli.net...
>>>>> mrdarrett@gmail.com wrote:
>>>>> I'm back from vacation (I live in the UK nowadays :) - I was 
>>>>> trying to
>>>>> deal with something a cow-orker hosed up.
>>>>>
>>>>> I went to the highlands and sampled many a fine malt - now I'm 
>>>>> wishing I
>>>>> was still doing it ;)
>>>> The last time I visited a Morrisons they stocked a pretty decent 
>>>> selection
>>>> of malts. No need to go to the highlands for that.....
>>>>
>>>> Meindert
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Buying a malt at Morrisons vs tasting it at the distillery is rather 
>>> like the difference between buying a fish at Morrisons and getting 
>>> it at the dock off the boat.
>>>
>>> Cheers
>>>
>>> PeteS
>>
>> Not long now until the most Northerly Scotch is ready for 
>> consumption - late this year for the three year old and late 2008 for 
>> the 5 year old. Check out http://shetlandwhisky.com/index-1.html for 
>> details. It's pretty dear to pre-order and the taxman will want 
>> another cut on delivery but it would be good to have a few bottles of 
>> the first run (which might become a good investment - how much would 
>> a bottle of the first Talisker go for?)
>>
>
> 3 year old whiskey is going to be pretty rough - that's the minimum 
> age it has to be before you can even legally call it whiskey.  There 
> are very few self-respecting malts that are less than 8 years old.

I know and it worried me somewhat, especially considering what they are 
charging. However, I think there must be some 8yo due for an appearance 
because I dimly remember them beginning to mature the whisky quite a 
while ago (and it's been easily three years since I was last on the 
island).

Still it's darn cold up there and a bit of rough whisky would be welcome 
to warm the cockles ;-)

Ban wrote:

> re: NXP
> Actually it is one of my favourite sites. No registration,

When were you last there ?

You're required to register now if you want to download anything. Sheer idiocy
if you ask me.

Graham

JW wrote:

> Eeyore <rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote
> >PeteS wrote:
> >
> >> to visit the NXP (nee Philips) website. I am replacing a legacy part and
> >> needed the original datasheet for comparison purposes. It's not a
> >> website, it's marketdroid mental masturbation.
> >
> >I agree.
> >
> >It insisted on me registering just to be able to view *datasheets* yet the
> >registration with my password didn't arrive for ~ 12 hours by which time I'd
> >found the data elsewhere and generally lost interest.
>
> Hmmm. Curious, I just downloaded a datasheet without registering. What
> part were you looking for?

I actually forget now. It might have been an 8051 family part. Maybe they've
changed it now but this was only a week or so ago.


> For websites that DO require web registration, I recommend using the
> Firefox browser with the BugMeNot extension. (In fact, I recommend dumping
> Internet Exploder entirely :) I just went to the site, and BugMeNot worked
> perfectly!

I use Opera.

Graham

Eeyore wrote:
> Ban wrote:
>
>> re: NXP
>> Actually it is one of my favourite sites. No registration,
>
> When were you last there ?
>
> You're required to register now if you want to download anything.
> Sheer idiocy if you ask me.
>
> Graham

I just looked and downloaded a couple of ds without registration. Only 
Javascript, no flash also. http://www.nxp.com/pip/PMD3001D.html
-- 
ciao Ban
Apricale, Italy 

Eeyore <rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote in
news:455B1F77.C7C47377@hotmail.com: 

> 
> 
> Ban wrote:
> 
>> re: NXP
>> Actually it is one of my favourite sites. No registration,
> 
> When were you last there ?
> 
> You're required to register now if you want to download anything.
> Sheer idiocy if you ask me.
> 

The reason is a good one, it might just need a better answer. If people are 
using automatic tools to trawl their database, maybe to set up their own as 
a way to trap business, the original source loses out twice, first in 
bandwidth costs, later in lost business. They probably want to make sure 
that if someone comes after their stuff it's a human wanting something 
specific, not some kind of virtual riever.

I don't like the new blocks and annoyances, but I can see why their being 
tried. Still, if these sites would dispense with the feature rich added 
value pumped up extra silliness they'd maybe save even more bandwidth and 
money, but such is life...

Ban wrote:

> Eeyore wrote:
> > Ban wrote:
> >
> >> re: NXP
> >> Actually it is one of my favourite sites. No registration,
> >
> > When were you last there ?
> >
> > You're required to register now if you want to download anything.
> > Sheer idiocy if you ask me.
> >
> > Graham
>
> I just looked and downloaded a couple of ds without registration. Only
> Javascript, no flash also. http://www.nxp.com/pip/PMD3001D.html

They must have changed it, thank goodness for that !

It's still horribly slow though. It wasn't that bad when it was Philips.

Graham

Hello Pete,


> to visit the NXP (nee Philips) website. I am replacing a legacy part and 
> needed the original datasheet for comparison purposes. It's not a 
> website, it's marketdroid mental masturbation.
> 

Wouldn't have said it quite that drastically but I agree. It is a 
classic example of how not to set up a web site.


> We've had these rants before, of course, but I'm getting to the point of 
> writing an open letter to semi mfrs - on the lines of 'just give me the 
> content'. There's a place for javascript (I like the way TI and OnSemi 
> [for example] use it for the parameterisable lists), but don't make the 
> entire website non-navigable without it; and don't make me use Flash.
> 
> I use FF2 with NoScript and nxp.com is not navigable at all unless I 
> enable javascript and Flash (ugh).
> 
> I wrote them a nastygram (which will no doubt be ignored). ...


Tried that with Philips Semi (rest in peace...), Infineon and ST. In a 
very friendly tone and to the top brass. Got ignored but that didn't 
surprise me.


>                                                ... It's a pretty 
> website for the investors and an excuse when they start to go down the 
> tubes "...but the website looks so nice with all those animations. It's 
> not our fault nobody buys our products..." where in reality it _is_ 
> their fault. Nobody buys the products because the website is not 
> targeted at it's proper audience.
> 

Absolutamente. There are numerous reasons why some semi mfgs are 
struggling, to the point where they must auction off their biz. Poor web 
design is one but by far the predominant reason is a poor (or 
non-existent?) sampling process. Try to get a few BSP297. Been there, 
spent almost 2hrs on the phone, told them we'd pay whatever it takes, 
was promised numerous times that they'd now really be on the way, became 
frustrated, designed them out. That is "the" method to lose business. 
Problem is, because of their lack in listening skills they'll never know 
how much of their business is going to competitors on a regular basis.


> I made a final decision today to not bother looking for their parts any 
> more - there's nothing they have I can't get elsewhere, especially in 
> the original design stage where I can choose parts based on 
> availability, functionality and decent documentation (another pet peeve).
> 

I haven't put any company on my blacklist yet except those that are 
notorious for vaporware (we all know those...). But like you I first go 
to mfgs with a proper web site and when I find 2-3 sources within budget 
I might never venture to the ones with inefficient web sites.


> ok - rant mode off (for now). We now return to our regular programming.
> 

Well, some things need to be rubbed in. Hoping someone wakes up at the 
big mfgs. Probably they won't.

-- 
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com