Moving from SCO to Suse Linux

[John Esak]

> [John said]
> > > Good try... not going to happen. If you want another copy of
> filePro on
> > > another platform, it is going to cost you the price of that
> new platform.
> > > Anything else is sort of like saying, I'm done with my Ford
> now I want a
> > > Pontiac, won'tyou give me one for $1?  :-)  Like I said good try.
>
> I politely disagree with that.  I mean, if someone bought something I
> had that they were using on SCO, and all they're doing is -switching-
> platforms, not running two separate servers, I don't see the problem.
> If they're upgrading versions, they should only have to pay the upgrade
> fee that would occur with an upgrade on the same platform.  If its the
> same version, just a different platform, maybe a $50 fee for handling the
> request and the attendant paperwork.  If I'm reasonably certain they're
> simply migrating platforms, I fail to see where they should be gouged.
> They could be migrating from 'doze to *nix after wising up.
> Should they be
> penalised for gaining IQ points?  I think not. :)

Wow! Isn't that nice... you _politely_ disagreeing with _me_. I wonder how
cold it is in Hell right now. (Chalk up one win for the FP Room... :-)

Well, I've not really thought about it much, but on the surfadce, this is
one case where I think I really agree with FP Tech (and just about _every_
other software supllier out there.)  The simple fact of the matter is there
is no way for the vendor to know that you are not still using the old
software on a fully working system. Even if that weren't the crux of the
issue, just the simple dollars of how the company makes money is critical.
This is the whole O/S we are talking about... the car... not the radio... In
the case of say Microlite BackupEdge... you use it on SCO for two years,
then buy another server... they are not going to just send you a completely
new or even upgrade package for less than full price. What in the world
would be their incentive for doing this? Good will? It's their income
stream, and they also have no way of knowing you aren't still using their
product on the other server.  It is a matter of trust I guess. There is none
anywhere, ever.

Except seemingly at SCO. Should you change servers, or upgarde, you just
sign on to their site and re-register your licenses with that specific
reason... no fuss, no muss. It is fantastic, and amazing. Just the way it
should be. A single, possible reason for this contra-situation is that their
cpd daemon (copy protect daemon) is going to flog you forever if you run two
systems on the same network. It isn't much, but it would annoy me.

As for FP Tech just giving you a completely different version of the product
for no or very small dollars... I think they won't do this... in fact, I
have at one time tried to to this... I never heard from Susan or anyone else
about this 33% or whatever mentioned by someone in another note. I think
there is no option, and in this one case, rightfully so. If they don't stay
in business, we all would suffer.

On the other side of things. I would assume that the license for the
original product could be sold to someone else and re-registerd at FP Tech
as being owned by a new licensee. The proceeds from this sale could help buy
the new platform version.


John