Walter wrote:
> 
> The current plan (subject to whatever works <g>) is to sell it for an introductory price of $25. We hope to get it done within 2-3 weeks. We'll have to figure out how to set up an ecommerce site, it's unknown how much that'll take.
> 
> There will likely be some early hiccups in the fulfillment process, as we have absolutely no idea what the demand will be. Certainly, higher volumes justify a slicker, more automated system.
> 
> I'd prefer just making it downloadable, as then a lower price is workable, but the size of the system is over 100 megs, totally impractical to download. So, the CD will be the main course with updates available by download. The basic console version will likely remain free.
> 
[snipped]

Just a comment: although 300 Megs (the last info I found in the postings about the content of the CD) I would like you to consider that downloading of ISO images of Linux distributions is presently common place.

HTH

Cesar

> Just a comment: although 300 Megs (the last info I found in the postings about the content of the CD) I would like you to consider that downloading of ISO images of Linux distributions is presently common place.

Eventhough ISO images of Linux and FreeBSD are downloadable I do not concider it practical. One of the reasons I am subscribed to always receive the latest STABLE version of FreeBSD on CD-ROM. Once a version is installed I keep it up-to-date through CVSup and just recompile everything once every two months. As a matter in fact, there are a lot more people keeping their systems up-to-date through CVS(up) than by downloading ISO images as that is very impractical for many reasons.

An other reason for selling a CD with the complete compiler might be that efforts with regard to maintain and update the compiler might need to be justified. Not everything in this world is for free. People do need to pay their bills and such...

Jan

Jan Knepper wrote:
> 
> > Just a comment: although 300 Megs (the last info I found in the postings about the content of the CD) I would like you to consider that downloading of ISO images of Linux distributions is presently common place.
> 
> Eventhough ISO images of Linux and FreeBSD are downloadable I do not concider it practical. One of the reasons I am subscribed to always receive the latest STABLE version of FreeBSD on CD-ROM. Once a version is installed I keep it up-to-date through CVSup and just recompile everything once every two months. As a matter in fact, there are a lot more people keeping their systems up-to-date through CVS(up) than by downloading ISO images as that is very impractical for many reasons.

I agree that a lot of persons 'bootstrap' their systems from a CD (floppies in the 'ole' days ;-) and them keep them uptodate through other mechanisms.

More often than not these ISO images are downloaded from places where bandwidth is abundant (also if the server provides REGET, helps) and used to burn CDs for others.

Practicality is a very soft quality attribute, I'm myself waiting for a easier way to be able to buy a CD than through the present scheme...

> 
> An other reason for selling a CD with the complete compiler might be that efforts with regard to maintain and update the compiler might need to be justified. Not everything in this world is for free. People do need to pay their bills and such...

I agree that selling CDs is one way to get funding, and even dare you to consider a similar model to the Walnut Creek used for Free BSD and Slackware some years ago: in addition to single shot selling, the subscription model were for a premium fee we could get the updates during a period of time (a year), for example.

Best regards,

Cesar

> More often than not these ISO images are downloaded from places where bandwidth is abundant (also if the server provides REGET, helps) and used to burn CDs for others.

The server supports REGET as far as I know. I however have seen quite a few problems with REGET...

> Practicality is a very soft quality attribute, I'm myself waiting for a easier way to be able to buy a CD than through the present scheme...

They are available via Amazon.com Auctions. Customers familiar with Amazon.com can use
Amazon's payment system to pay for the CD's.
If you still don't like that, you can also FAX me your order and credit card data.
(Visa and MasterCard only).

> I agree that selling CDs is one way to get funding, and even dare you to consider a similar model to the Walnut Creek used for Free BSD and Slackware some years ago: in addition to single shot selling, the subscription model were for a premium fee we could get the updates during a period of time (a year), for example.

We have been discussing that and I think in the near future we will get to a system like that. Actually, FreeBSD has had 'subscription' for years. I like it, it's a great system.

Jan

Jan Knepper wrote:
> 
> > More often than not these ISO images are downloaded from places where bandwidth is abundant (also if the server provides REGET, helps) and used to burn CDs for others.
> 
> The server supports REGET as far as I know. I however have seen quite a few problems with REGET...
> 

Well... we still live in a imperfect wold, isn't it? ;-)

> > Practicality is a very soft quality attribute, I'm myself waiting for a easier way to be able to buy a CD than through the present scheme...
> 
> They are available via Amazon.com Auctions. Customers familiar with Amazon.com can use
> Amazon's payment system to pay for the CD's.
> If you still don't like that, you can also FAX me your order and credit card data.
> (Visa and MasterCard only).
> 

Great! Will check which one and e-mail you.

> > I agree that selling CDs is one way to get funding, and even dare you to consider a similar model to the Walnut Creek used for Free BSD and Slackware some years ago: in addition to single shot selling, the subscription model were for a premium fee we could get the updates during a period of time (a year), for example.
> 
> We have been discussing that and I think in the near future we will get to a system like that. Actually, FreeBSD has had 'subscription' for years. I like it, it's a great system.
> 

OK. Please also consider havig it published in cover CDs. May bring awareness to the compiler.

Cesar

Cesar Rabak wrote:

> > The server supports REGET as far as I know. I however have seen quite a few problems with REGET...
> >
> Well... we still live in a imperfect wold, isn't it? ;-)

Yup! Will never change...

Jan

Well, I'm still breathing... ;-)

The web sites have fallen a bit into disrepair, but I've been making slow progress getting them spiffied up. Sometime this year, I'll be adding SnipOS, my own Finite State Machine (cooperatively multitasking) Operating System (FSMOS). It will be licensed slightly differently from my other SNIPPETS code and my old MicroFirm Function Library (MFL). It will still be free for personal use, but will be licensed on a "per product" basis for commercial applications. I've been implementing embedded systems using FSMOSs for a decade or more now,a nd this amounts to a formal packaging of what's developed into a reasonably comprehensive and well tested library of interworking modules.

However, as you might have guessed, I have slowed down quite a bit. I'm nearing retirement age and it's been 13 years since I nearly died (the first time) of congestive heart failure.

Bob Stout wrote:
> Well, I'm still breathing... ;-)

I'm always happy to hear that!