From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.4 required=5.0 tests=AC_FROM_MANY_DOTS,BAYES_00 autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,7bcba1db9ed24fa7 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2001-07-10 15:40:08 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!newsfeed.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!colt.net!newspeer.highwayone.net!newspeer.clara.net!news.clara.net!psiuk-p2!uknet!psiuk-n!news.pace.co.uk!nh.pace.co.uk!not-for-mail From: "Marin David Condic" Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Death by analogy Part 2 (was Re: is ada dead?) Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2001 17:56:32 -0400 Organization: Posted on a server owned by Pace Micro Technology plc Message-ID: <9iftmh$sd0$1@nh.pace.co.uk> References: <3B4B3432.5BAFE9E1@easystreet.com> <3B4B4BF9.12C1E8C@lmco.com> <3B4B613B.25659225@mediaone.net> <3B4B6F44.8C7CC353@easystreet.com> <3B4B7319.ECD3A4D3@mediaone.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: 136.170.200.133 X-Trace: nh.pace.co.uk 994802193 29088 136.170.200.133 (10 Jul 2001 21:56:33 GMT) X-Complaints-To: newsmaster@pace.co.uk NNTP-Posting-Date: 10 Jul 2001 21:56:33 GMT X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4522.1200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4522.1200 Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:9748 Date: 2001-07-10T21:56:33+00:00 List-Id: "Ed Falis" wrote in message news:3B4B7319.ECD3A4D3@mediaone.net... > in the $100 to $600 range. For us Ada guys, there was the additional > problem of general lack of broader market interest, despite sinking a lot > of money into advertizing and so on. > I grok the broader interest part, but in terms of "advertizing" dollars - what exactly is "a lot"? I think Coca Cola spends "a lot" on advertizing. I doubt that any vendors beyond Microsoft and Sun have spent "a lot" relative to that kind of scale. The thing is, if someone actually *did* spend that many cubic dollars on promoting Ada and getting it to be a "Household Word" we'd all be able to kiss C/C++ goodbye. > So, I don't know what the answer is to your dilemma (and you're not the > only person with it). But what ACT offers in terms of support reflects the > cost to provide it, and I think it also reflects the value rendered in > return. > No reason to blame ACT or anyone else for charging what they have to in order to provide a service. I think a fair complaint is that there seems to be no "middle ground". Either you're on the Defense Contractor level of support contract or you're left hanging out there twisting slowly, slowly in the wind. Not much of a problem if you're talking about a highly stable & reliable product, but if there are new features or bug fixes coming out frequently, one would like a way to get them quickly without having the full-boat hand-holding charges. > You've probably used the Visual Studios, and Sun JDK's, and Borland > products. They're not perfect, and often the quality is well below e.g. > GNAT or ObjectAda. And just as often, the option for any kind of real > support doesn't exist. Or if it does, it's part of a "larger" deal with a > concomitant ongoing price tag. You can't get blood out of stone. > Maybe you can't get the Defense Contractor level of support for Visual Studio, et alia, but you can subscribe to get quarterly updates, etc. That's at least something. > I'm sorry if I'm sounding a bit combative - it's not my intention, but > I guess a fair part of my career has been tied to these issues. I'm often > not so pleased looking back. > We can all look back and see things in the past that maybe we consider less than stellar achievement or huge successes. But its the process - not the product. *We* are changed in the process. :-) MDC -- Marin David Condic Senior Software Engineer Pace Micro Technology Americas www.pacemicro.com Enabling the digital revolution e-Mail: marin.condic@pacemicro.com Web: http://www.mcondic.com/