The following questions appeared in the de.sci.chemie newsgroup on January 20, 2000. Because it involved a Shimadzu HPLC pump, we took the time to translate it from German into English:


Hello,

Who has a Shimadzu HPLC, type LC-9A or a Bediensungsanleitung? Or who knows at least, how one programs this pump? Or who knows someone else who knows something? OK, rather many questions at one time but I'm trying to bring this older HPLC to running. Unfortunately, no operating instructions are available. Also Shimadzu could not help me! [What else is new?]

Best thanks in advance,

Oliver Thum

n.b. Well Shimadzu is starting off the millennium on the same ole foot. Just call it the Same Sh*t, Different Day creed if it has the Shimadzu name associated with it!

n.b. Once again, the evidence suggests that Shimadzu customers worldwide can expect to have trouble getting their questions answered wherever Shimadzu hardware (and software) is concerned! What is it about the Shimadzu tech support organization? Does Shimadzu even have one?? What do they do???

n.b. The Shimadzu LC-9A pump may be older technology but Shimadzu is still peddling it! One of the recent card decks (from LC/GC or American Laboratory) advertised the LC-9A pump as part of a Preparative HPLC system. What Mr. Oliver Thum doesn't want is one of those Japanese translated Shimadzu manuals for the LC-9A pump. So much is lost in the translation process when these Japanese manuals are converted to English that customers have labelled the resulting product as "Jinglish." Can you imagine what would happen if this "Jinglish" were translated into German instead.... you don't even want to know!

n.b. Mr. Ralph Nesson (Shimadzu Scientific, USA) was (at one time) responsible for overseeing the translation of these Japanese manuals. One would wonder about the supervisory skills of whoever oversaw this translation process if you read some of the sad handiwork produced by the workers! If you have the mis-fortune of perusing one of these tortuous pieces of work, you too will conclude that the editing department at Shimadzu needs remedial classes in English composition, grammar, punctuation and spelling!