A happy consumer...

[Jerry_]

<p>A.<br />The Nikon Customer Support answer:<br /><br />"I understand your position however we cannot provide you with a replacement CD. Please download and install the latest version for free from the link below."<br /><br /><br />The American way of doing business is alive and well....<br /><br />One can buy a refurbished camera body, and one can shoot .NEF files with it, along with .JPG files<br />with it. The refurbished camera body had a CD in-the-box which (by the little instruction booklet)<br />should allow you to view the .NEF files and maybe save them as a .TIF or .JPG file.<br />But, always a but, it seems the program on the CD is not current and the company only<br />gives you a response of: see A. above.<br /><br />I did not see notice on the box that a *new* computer would be required.<br />I just happen to have both a Nikon D3 and a Nikon D700. Both have .NEF files that<br />go through the Nikon View NX2 program, and edit OK. But the Nikon D5100 seems<br />to have a upgraded .NEF file format and the 'ol computer is not going to do.<br /><br />I made the suggestion that I would be most happy to mail in the CD that came in the box<br />with the Nikon D5100 refurbished body. And I would be most happy to wait for the mailman<br />to deliver a replacement CD. But, again another but, the Nikon Customer non-Support<br />answer came back as: see A. above.<br /><br />Life (and business) is great!<br /><br /><br /></p>

[frank_skomial]

<p>Some applications do allow to have installed an older and newer version on the same computer, but some do not alow.</p>

<p>If multiple instances of the same application are not allowed, then you need to uninstall the older version before installing the newer version. If you already installed multiple, and it does not work, your cource of action is to uninstall all versions, and install only one that is the latest, or one that works best for your cameras.</p>

<p>By downloading the program you have always the latest software available.</p>

<p> </p>

[Wouter Willemse]

<p>D5100 needs an updated version of the very same ViewNX2, and that does not require a new PC at all. If you download the latest version and install it, it will just update your existing installation. No issues at all.<br>

But I don't get the point probably.</p>

[erik_christensen3]

<p>Wouter is that from Nikon Europe you get such software.<br />When downloading from Nikon USA or Asia I always get the notification to unstall the old version, so I always download and save prior to unstalling and installing, just in case there would be a powercut or ....</p>

[lachaine]

Most people would think it's a good thing that nikon provides its software and updates free for download by anyone.

Why would you prefer a cd be mailed to you?

[daverhaas]

<p>Software and compatibility issues are not new nor are they unique to Nikon. I've been in software since the early 80's - on both sides as a developer and a user. In order to get newer, better, faster, and use the full capabilities of the computers - upgrades are required. </p>

<p>Nikon tweeks every NEF version that they develop. From the D1 on. Each has required an update to Adobe Camera Raw to get recognized. I strongly suspect Canon and others do the same. </p>

<p> </p>

[Matt Laur]

<blockquote>

<p>The American way of doing business</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I think it's safe to say, Jerry, that Nikon is still a Japanese company. The Japanese version of the Nikon web site - just like the versions of it they provide for US and European customers - also provides View NX2 as a free download. They would have to start charging more for such utilities if they had to maintain and endless program of physically producing and delivering CDs and packaging (to millions of users) whenever they update their software (which happens frequently).<br /><br />The vast majority of people using multi-thousand-dollar digital cameras are also fairly up to date on basic commodity items, like a computer running a recent vintage operating system. Nikon says that you can use the most recent version of View NX2 on computers running <em>any</em> of these operating systems:</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Windows 7 Home Basic/Home<br />Premium/Professional/Enterprise/Ultimate<br />Windows Vista Home Basic/Home Premium/Business/Enterprise/Ultimate(Service Pack 2)<br />Windows XP Home Edition/Professional (Service Pack 3)</p>

</blockquote>

<p>And you're OK with either 32 or 64 bit hardware. What makes you think you'll need a new computer? Are you on Windows 98 or something equally exotic?<br /><br />Regardless, Nikon is providing software exactly the way that most people now want it: instantly, with the click or two of a mouse, without having to wait days for someone to drive it to you in a truck and hand it to you. After the moment or two it takes to download the software, you <em>can</em> burn it to a $0.50 blank CD for safe keeping if you're worried that some day down the road you won't be able to get to Nikon's web site for another download of the latest updated version.</p>

[Peter_in_PA]

<p>I'm surprised any cameras even come with a CD anymore.</p>

[andylynn]

<p>Is this a complaint because you were given a download URL for the update to View NX2 instead of a new CD? This is industry practice - they update those programs every other week sometimes, they can't send out new CDs every time.</p>

[Wouter Willemse]

<p>Erik,<br /> I actually don't know whether the European pages state you should uninstall or not. I do use the English EU installer, which has a different filename than the English US version... maybe the installer works differently, don't know. For sure, it is not bad practise to uninstall first, and "clean" install after - I just never followed that good practise ;-). <br />For ViewNX2, updating always worked fine for me so far (that is going from 2.x to another 2.x, there was no update from 1.x to 2.x, instead they can exist alongside). For CaptureNX2, I believe I had to enter the serial once after an update, after which it worked properly too.</p>

[erik_christensen3]

<p>Wouter,<br>

It is not mentioned on the web-pages, but it appears when you start installing it without having uninstalled the previous version. I cannot get permission to install the new version unless the previous one has been uninstalled. May be I do something which is not planned for by Nikon, that could easily happen for me with computers -:)</p>

[hans_janssen]

<p>I just installed the latest update for NX2 v2.3.2 and during the installation proces is asked if I want to uninstall the found previous version and I answered yes. What would I do with an older version?</p>

<p>Probably when the question is not asked, people start complaining about all the space these updates take on a HDD.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>BTW, although it would seem obvious, once you have a downloaded file, compressed or not, it is relatively easy to put in on a CD.</p>

<p>That being said, I think crappy and/or nonresponsive customer service is part of large-scale business, regardless of nationality.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>We don't have to be nice, we're the ________ company. (fill in the blank)</p>

</blockquote>

[Jerry_]

<p>The Nikon D5100 *refurbished* body was delivered <strong>on 7 May 2012</strong>. I made the purchase through a Nikon USA dealer in New York City. The camera works very well. My *unlikely* complaint is over the CD included with the camera. If the Nikon D5100 was 2 or 3 years older, I would understand that the CD software would be "out-of-date." But Nikon USA has only the "download" the program answer to fix it up 100%. So when I go to sell the camera, I can include the "...URL..." for the next person after explaining the Nikon CD is kind-of-like old farm animal stuff on the ground.</p>

<p> </p>

[jack flannery]

<p>And to think I just ripped my CD player out of my Mac Book Pro for a SSD. CD/DVD burners are going to go the way of the floppy one of these days. </p>

[goldbergbarry]

<p>Not sure what the big deal is about. CDs are becoming a thing of the past so what is wrong with Nikon asking you to download the latest version. IMO, this is better because it ensures that you have the latest version. </p>

<p>Plus frankly I don't like the bashing of American business. If you don't like the way we do things here, then why don't you stop dealing with any company based in the U.S. (and remember that Nikon is a Japanese company).</p>

<p>Time to move on to the stuff that matters in life. </p>

[dan_wolfgang]

<p>I'm kind of surprised to hear you even found out what version of the software was on the CD. That is, I would never even bother to stick it in the CD drive -- I assume that the web site will have the newest version of the software, and that's very likely newer than is on the CD.</p>

[daverhaas]

<p>So the real complaint is that the software on cd which was shipped with your camera purchase is out of date? </p>

<p>No big surprise...Software changes. CD's cost money. Just because the company issues a new version of software - they're not going to jump through hoops and pull all existing cds (destroying them) and replacing with new - Nope. That's what the www is for. </p>

<p>They can update the software at will and make it available for next to nothing for download. </p>

<p>Again - not unique to Nikon. Windows, Office, Turbo Tax... Do I have to go on? All are the same way... Bugs are found, fixes made and they're not going to resend CD's to fix them... </p>

<p>Dave</p>

 

[bob_r3]

<p>The chance of the CD provided with any hardware being up to date is rather remote. In most cases, once you install the CD software and start it, then you would get prompted to download and install an update. To expect to get an up to date CD include with a refurbished item is unreasonable.<br>

I'm a software developer - so I may be biased</p>

<p> </p>

[rodeo_joe1]

<p>Jerry, I don't think Nikon are being unreasonable. Manufactured CDs take time to master and produce, so there's going to be a lag between the software being updated and its availability on CD, whereas a download can be made available almost immediately.</p>

<p>So the situation is that the included (old version) CD gives you the license, the install key and base installation, which can then easily be updated by a download. Seems pretty standard to me. Same as if you buy a printer or almost any other piece of computer hardware. The supplied driver is usually out of date by the time the goods have been on the retailer's shelves for more than a couple of months.</p>

<p>BTW. If you want a company that has a really poor record for supplied software not being compatible with its hardware, then one that's pronounced "hophog" takes my prize. And the anagram of "Abode" has a habit of leaving a few unironed bugs in the first releases of its famous and expensive image editor.</p>

[Richard Williams]

<p>Were original purchasers in the same position? - i.e., did the version of VNX shipped in the box when the camera was first released fail to support D5100 NEF files? If so, that suggests very poor planning by Nikon. If not, this is presumably the wrong CD for the camera. However, like Dan I just tend to download the latest version anyway and not bother with the CD, so I wouldn't have a problem with their solution at this point. If you don't want to wade through the various national support sites, you can get VNX here: http://nikonimglib.com/nvnx/</p>

[mac_hordam]

<p><em><strong>You</strong></em> seem to be unhappy that Nikon has not sat idly around since producing your camera and has instead continued with updates to their software, free to download.</p>

<p><em><strong>I'm</strong></em> unhappy because I wanted to read a thread about "a happy consumer" and I feel cheated. I do like happy endings. Can I download a happy story?</p>

 

[richard__]

<p>Software CD's provided in any box are always quickly out of date, even if just released. I always look on the web for a more current version.</p>

<p>It is rather a bigger operation than one might think to manage and make available multiple versions of a single CD based product, and in multiple languages. It takes a fair amount of people coming together in order to agree to produce, manage and track all the various versions of a single product that they maintain a physical inventory on. </p>

<p>I doubt they are being lazy, or intentionally obnoxious in asking you to use the most readily available version on their web site like most of us are used to doing now, and usually but not always prefer.</p>

[steven_p]

<p>.....Wait till you buy that brand "spankin' new" computer, and go digging through the box for restore disks.<br>

(Your restore software is on the hard drive's hidden partition.) OK, first thing you have to do, right out of the box you burn backup restore disks.</p>

<p>Hard drive fails. Your burnt disks do not work. Yes, it did happen, (sourly, to me.)<br>

Nuts to this digi-crap. Does anyone still process transparencies? "What did I just spend my money on?"</p>

<p>I'm 100% with you Jerry.</p>

[goldbergbarry]

<blockquote>

<p>.....Wait till you buy that brand "spankin' new" computer, and go digging through the box for restore disks.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Maybe time to ditch your computers and go back to the old days before computers. ;-)<br>

<br>

</p>