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=-1.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00 autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Thread: 103376,3e26dfa741e64e5f X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit Path: g2news1.google.com!news4.google.com!border1.nntp.dca.giganews.com!nntp.giganews.com!local01.nntp.dca.giganews.com!nntp.megapath.net!news.megapath.net.POSTED!not-for-mail NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 06 Oct 2005 19:53:02 -0500 From: "Randy Brukardt" Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada References: <1126875543.239666.325290@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com> <3467d$432b0af1$49956f8$22115@ALLTEL.NET> <43311a67$1_1@glkas0286.greenlnk.net> <4j9Ye.26896$MT.3362@reader1.news.jippii.net> <43313bf2$1_1@glkas0286.greenlnk.net> Subject: Re: GNAT GPL 2005 Edition is now available Date: Thu, 6 Oct 2005 19:56:46 -0500 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4952.2800 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4952.2800 Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: 64.32.209.38 X-Trace: sv3-jS60skPzdtq7eeUp+foSPxexRUn+i2Au3cfZssPQr0LBB4aB+1PXLxnNSld4l01sS280ccu82ZhChjH!YhiNSoGiE6PjGn3HzejYtbv8tjZNGbn7QFxmPz2U1cRgmBm6oA4qvbQZYuaRqIhDQhqs9YscbWxL X-Complaints-To: abuse@megapath.net X-DMCA-Complaints-To: abuse@megapath.net X-Abuse-and-DMCA-Info: Please be sure to forward a copy of ALL headers X-Abuse-and-DMCA-Info: Otherwise we will be unable to process your complaint properly X-Postfilter: 1.3.32 Xref: g2news1.google.com comp.lang.ada:5473 Date: 2005-10-06T19:56:46-05:00 List-Id: "Martin Dowie" wrote in message news:43313bf2$1_1@glkas0286.greenlnk.net... > Niklas Holsti wrote: > > From a recent press release: "ObjectAda for Linux is available > > immediately for Red Hat Enterprise Version 4 and Fedora Core > > Version 4 and starts at $5,000". > > Shame they don't do a 'Pro' edition for $$$ as they do for Windows. > > I'm surprised there isn't a 'zero' support, dirty cheap version of these > compilers - it's not a huge market, but they could just send out the > same CD but filter on license key as to whether, if you ask for it, you > are entitled to any support. Well, speaking for RRS, there are a number of issues: (1) There really isn't any such thing as a 'zero' support product. Problems that people have using your products always reflect back on you, and people rarely if ever prefix rants with "well, I got it for free, but...". Moreover, if there is a security problem or the like, you'll pretty much *have* to support it. (2) Janus/Ada's packaging needs a complete overhaul; it was designed in the mid 90's for floppy disk/printed manual distribution, and those days are gone. Installation takes too much hand-holding right now. (And I personally have been spending way too much time on Ada 200Y to address this; that will end soon, of course.) (3) The other issue is simply making enough money from the work to justify the effort. Our experience (admittedly mostly from the 1980's) is that compiler demand is rather inelastic. We have relatively low prices because we believe in the small developer. But if we wanted to maximize our revenue, pricing more like Aonix's would probably work better. Our current prices are about as low as we can go, I think. Randy Brukardt, R.R. Software, Inc.