From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.5-pre1 (2020-06-20) on ip-172-31-74-118.ec2.internal X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.0 required=3.0 tests=BAYES_40 autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.5-pre1 Date: 9 Dec 92 05:34:07 GMT From: seas.gwu.edu!mfeldman@uunet.uu.net (Michael Feldman) Subject: Re: Open Systems closed to Ada? Message-ID: <1992Dec9.053407.23262@seas.gwu.edu> List-Id: In article <1992Dec7.232157.3816@ennews.eas.asu.edu> koehnema@enuxha.eas.asu.ed u (Harry Koehnemann) writes: > >It does - free compilers. Universities are poor. C compilers are free >on Unix platforms. In contrast, Ada compilers are absurdly expensive. >Since our US industry is so reluctant to spend money on anything that >might take more than 3 months to start showing a return on their >investment (like training), they'll use the language dictated to them >by the current masses. Now, now. $1500. for a server license is absurdly expensive? Gimme a break. Even if only 50 students a year use it, that's 30 bucks a seat. We just purchased Alsys for the HP900-800 for $1800. We will have at least 200 students a year on it. $9.00 a student is too much? Ever look at the price of Sabre C? I have fought as hard as anyone else in the industry for free Ada compilers, but not so that we can kill off the commercial ones - not at current university pricing. I want GNAT because I get sources with it, so I and my students can tinker. More and more current masses are learning Ada. (Details on request.) BTW - I'll agree wholeheartedly that the _commercial_ compiler prices are still way too high. The response, in general, is that the price of a compiler, even if it's high, is marginal as a fraction of the cost of a serious industry project. Mike Feldman ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Michael B. Feldman co-chair, SIGAda Education Committee Professor, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science School of Engineering and Applied Science The George Washington University Washington, DC 20052 USA (202) 994-5253 (voice) (202) 994-5296 (fax) mfeldman@seas.gwu.edu (Internet) "Americans want the fruits of patience -- and they want them now." ------------------------------------------------------------------------