On Wed, 22 Jan 1997 16:21:32 +0200, Neil Harvey <[log in to unmask]>
writes:

>Time to insist on User-Based pricing, I'd say.
>I have an intense dislike for this upgrade mentality, as well as stupid
>copy protection schemes that ALWAYS fail when first installed, and this
>ALWAYS occurs over weekends/at midnight when the Vendor offers ABOLUTELY
>no support.
>
>I have come across instances where (no names mentioned) a customer was
>able to buy and fund a powerful development machine with a five
>developer license, as well as a huge CPU upgrade with a user runtime
>license for the same price (or less) than the Huge Upgrade with full
>development. Very Silly Indeed.

Hear, Hear! (Sound of applause)

I could not agree with you more.  Can any of the software vendors
(including HP) supply a defense of the tiered software pricing
scheme?  One of my predessor's last acts was to upgrade our 922
to a 948 (I know it wasn't a wise move, but *I* didn't do it).
When I got here it was running like a dog, because we left the
24 MB of memory from the 922 in place (the 948 requires a minimum
of 64 MB of memory).  By the time we got through making the 948
legal, it cost me $13,000 for a new COBOL compiler license (from
HP).  And all I got for my $13,000 was a new certificate.  No added
staff.  No added users.  Nothing.  Well, I can still call the RC
and hope that someone there knows what COBOL is.

Jim Phillips                            Manager of Information Systems
E-Mail: [log in to unmask]      Therm-O-Link, Inc.
Phone: (330) 527-2124                   P. O. Box 285
  Fax: (330) 527-2123                   Garrettsville, Ohio  44231