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From: tmoran@bix.com
Subject: Re: 'cheap Ada compilers', was Re: GNAT 3.03 for OS/2
Date: 1996/03/28
Message-ID: <4jelq4$d76@news2.delphi.com>#1/1
X-Deja-AN: 144710346
organization: Delphi Internet Services Corporation
newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Date: 1996-03-28T00:00:00+00:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>

>Gnat updates are (mostly) free.  All you have to do is go get one.
  It's true that the GNAT updates that exist are free.  But it's
been stated that if we want to see very many updates, a bunch of
people need to pay $1200/person/year for support (or donate work).
(Maybe GNAT should do 'pledge breaks'.  ;)

>In the commercial world, you would have to pay whatever the
>"support" fee is for a yearly update.  That would typically run you
>around a grand.
  I haven't been to the local Egghead lately - is a grand a year
what Borland and Microsoft are charging for C++ or Visual Basic
these days?  I just got an Alsys ad in the mail for three ActivAda
products at $99, $595, and $995.  Does their 'optional subscription
plan' for these cost $1K?  As I recall RR's one year support with
upgrades cost more like a tenth of that.   I suspect, in fact, that
most people don't buy support contracts for either GNAT or commercial
software.