Subject: Re: CCL:HyperChem

From: "William T. Winter" <wtwinter^at^syr.edu>
Date: Fri, 08 Oct 2004 11:14:13 -0400

Mr. Patrick
The package is good for teaching molecular modeling, especially 
molecular mechanics and dynamics. The readable force field files are 
helpful in discussing the structure of molecular modeling.  But the 
ability to use it as an instructional tool greatly benefits, in 
principle, from the floating license option and this, in my hands, has 
been a disaster both in terms of working and in terms of support.
We bought a 5 user floating license pack with Hyperchem a few years 
ago.  We attempted to install it on numerous machines around our 
department and found that, for no apparent reason,  it ran on about 1/2 
the machines and not on the others. The license server was on a PC under 
my control and in the worst case I was successful in accessing it from 
all but one of my own PCs despite the fact that all were running in the 
same operating system (windows98 back then) and had the same history of 
software installations, upgrades, etc.  There was no discernible 
difference between the environments on the machines and all worked 
flawlessly in other internet applications.  When I called Hyperchem and 
asked for help I got a rather dismissive answer at first   and then was 
dismissed with an "I don't know".   After several fruitless attempts to 
get it running  on all machines (not simultaneously of course) I gave up 
and abandoned the computational chemistry course that I was  developing. 

I like the  "builders"  and the polysaccharide one is relatively unique 
and appropriate to our needs.
I have been advised that there is a new license server, but having 
invested so much time in the previous one, I am not all sure I want to 
bother trying again.

For the record, I have worked with computers and computational chemistry 
since 1969  and had also set up the first  internet server on my campus, 
nearly one year before my institution  had its own.  I mention this 
only  to point out that I was not  some neophyte who  had never worked 
with installing and networking  license servers for  modeling packages 
or other large software elements before.

 William T. Winter, Professor of Chemistry

>Joe Patrick <patrick^at^hyper.com>
>Sent by: "Computational Chemistry List" <chemistry-request^at^ccl.net>
>07.10.2004 20:17
>
> 
>        To:     chemistry^at^ccl.net
>        cc: 
>        Subject:        CCL:HyperChem
>
>
>Good Day,
>
>I work for Hypercube, Inc. makers of HyperChem. 
>
>We would like to hear opinoins from CCL in regards to our software.  If 
>you have any experience with or comments about the software, please 
>contact me at patrick^at^hyper.com.
>
>Thank you for your time.
>
>Best Regards,
>Joe Patrick
>  
>

==============================================================
Prof. W.T.Winter                                       
                               Tel: 315-470-6876
SUNY-ESF                                                                
              FAX: 315-470-6856
Polymer Research Institute  and Chemistry Department              
E-Mail:  wtwinter^at^syr.edu
121 E.C. Jahn 
Laboratory                                                         
http://www.esf.edu/chemistry
Syracuse, NY 13210