Item Subject: More CDROM usage for MPE/iX ??
Lars writes:
>1. Write a 3000-based server job that exports the "raw" CD contents and
>   write a PC-based device-driver that can access the server job via
>  something like winsock.dll and provides a "network drive" to Windows.
>
>This is essentially the CD Extensions model ported to winsock.dll and would
>allow PC programs like LaserROM (or successors or other tools for other CDs)
>to access the CD contents.
 
Since HP has stated (I got a nice letter to this effect the other day) that they
are abandoning the CD extensions completely, perhaps we could talk them into
giving us the source code for free, and then look for volunteers willing to try
to make it work on top of Winsock and with Windows 95/NT etc.
 
I believe they contracted to a 3rd party to write the CD Extensions product for
them (we almost did it at Quest as I recall), so there might be licensing
problems with this if HP does not own the code outright.
 
There are a couple other options too.
 
We could ask the people who originally wrote the product how much it would cost
to update it.
 
We could ask the 3000 user base at large how much more money they would be
willing to pay per year to have the CD Extensions be included as part of FOS.
The problem with the CD Extensions product is that only like three people ever
bought it, so of course there is no support money to maintain it, and HP thinks
that no one wants it.  If everyone was willing to pay $10.0 per month for it
perhaps?
 
G.