'386 Unix Wars

[Rahul Dhesi]

Re "support".  In the software business, "support" includes a number of
different things:  fixing existing bugs;  adding new features;
hand-holding users through installation;  helping them figure out the
documentation;  helping them figure out how to do undocumented things;
etc.

I can see asking users to pay for all of the above *except* fixing
existing bugs.  I see no justification for selling a buggy product and
then refusing to fix the bugs without collecting more money.  The price
of the product should include the overhead of future bug fixes.

This is not as costly as it sounds.  If the software is properly
written, there will be very few bugs in the production release.
Software doesn't last very long -- maybe two or three years at most.
The technology is changing too quickly.  Sure any vendor with a decent
product who isn't undercapitalized can afford to fix bugs for two
years.
--
History never         |   Rahul Dhesi <dhesi%cirrusl at oliveb.ATC.olivetti.com>
becomes obsolete.     |   UUCP:  oliveb!cirrusl!dhesi