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Apple Offers Three-Year Upgrade Plan for Server
davidstrauss writes "News.com is reporting that 'Apple Computer is giving buyers of its Mac OS X Server the option of signing on for three years of unlimited access to software upgrades for the same price it charges for a single, onetime upgrade.' This sounds almost like a push in the direction of Microsoft's Licensing 6."
After all the complaints for charging $129 for Jaguar, maybe Apple could do something like this for regular Mac OS X? Somehow I doubt they will do that though.
Apple Maintenance Program for Mac OS X Server...I think the Apple folks need to start realizing that, with Mac OS X, they now have a whole new "type" of user. These new Mac zealots are often scientists, engineers, and your run-of-the-mill computer geek, all of whom are accustomed to frequently updating their software (and hardware, in some cases) to the very latest that's available.
Apple will quickly upset their new (and some old) users if they continue to charge another $100.00 or so every few months with each new 10.x release of OS X.
Perhaps it could be called a "power-user" program (rather than "maintenence"), but would provide an all-access "ticket" to ftp.apple.com (or a Windows Update-like Web script).
If you celebrate Xmas, befriend me (538
Licensing 6 requires an annual fee, which is a percentage of the original purchase price. That's on top of the price for the original software.
Original 10-User Win2k Server: 1199
Three-year licensing agreement: (1199 * 29%) * 3 years = 1043.13
This is different: instead of one upgrade, you get all upgrades for the next three years at no additional cost.
Original 10-User OS X Server: 499
Three-year Upgrade plan: 499
-Ster
When doing this you would have to make sure that you don't lose to many of your ADC paying members. These members get software updates for free and is part of the 'value' they get from Apple. Admittedly they get more as well (discounts on machines, developer CD's shipped at regular intervals etc).
Go out and get sailing!
3 year maintenance is indeed available on Mac OS X, BUT you need to purchase a minimum of 10 seats. It's right in the software section of the Apple Store. Some institutions, like the University of Wisconsin, participate and pass the program on directly to customers. For example, UW customers can purchase a 3-year subscription, which entitles the purchaser to the latest version of Mac OS X for the term, for $95: http://www.wisc.edu/wisc/products/apple_mac_osX_de pt.html
No, and how wrong your logic is. Up until now, the only way to get a new version of Mac OS X Server that was a paid upgrade (like 10.2 from 10.0.x/10.1.x) was to buy it outright at full price...this actually makes it cheaper in the long run, assuming there's more than one paid update during the 3 year period. Additionally, Apple will continue to release updates and patches that keep previous versions of Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server secure as long as they're in routine use. Apple has already released security updates for 10.1.x, even after 10.2 was out.
At the moment, you can't get an upgrade pricing on OS X Server. Apple just doesn't offer an upgrade. And remember, OS X Server with unlimited licenses costs a lot ($1500 in Finland). I'm still running 10.1 as I'm having a grudge for purchasing a new license just to upgrade to a hopefully less buggy version of the server. So, this is a very good deal. :)
"Although it is not true that all conservatives are stupid, it is true that most stupid people are conservative."
Can somone moderate this down please?
Apple laptops are effectively unusable for unix users.
I am a long-time Unix user. That means I need to have the Ctrl key to the left of the A key. This is a genuine need, not merely a want; it is based upon ergonomics. The Ctrl key is heavily used in unix, and it must be easily accessable. It cannot be off in the lower left corner of the keyboard where it is difficult to get at, and where it distorts the position of your left hand such that you can't easily type other keys while holding the Ctrl key down.
Apple desktop keyboards are now all USB. They are all OK. The CapsLock key can be re-mapped into a Ctrl key.
Unfortunately, even in this modern age, all Apple laptops have built-in ADB keyboards. The ADB keyboard is broken-by-design. It is, in general, not possible to remap the CapsLock key into a Ctrl key.
There are some exceptions, but they are horrible kludges. They are horrible kludges because the original design of the ADB keyboard was a horrible kludge. The correct solution would be for Apple to re-design their laptop motherboards to use built-in USB keyboards. This hasn't happened yet. If you run Linux, use Debian's solution. For Mac OS X users, uControl works. There are no solutions (that I know of) for either NetBSD or OpenBSD. Please note once again that the "solutions" above are in fact kludges, because of the original bad design of the ADB keyboard.
Apple is (currently) ignoring Unix users! This is not merely speculation on my part. In an on-going email exchange I am having with an Apple employee (whom I won't name) in their marketing department, the Apple marketing person directly stated to me that Apple was catering to their historic Mac customers, and is purposely ignoring the Unix market. He also claimed that Apple would soon start paying more attention to the Unix market. I won't hold my breath. Apple has been ignoring Unix users for more than 12 years. I expect that trend to continue. (Also note that my Apple contact indicated that Macs would never ship with a 3-button mouse, even though Apple intended to port almost all X-window software and deliver it either on a CD/DVD or installed directly on each Mac's hard drive. How Unix friendly is a 1-button mouse with X programs that often require 3 buttons?)
Apple has now lost two opportunities to sell me hardware. I really wanted an Apple laptop for their superior battery life, and for the PowerPC with Altivec CPU. (The Altivec is vastly superior to the x86 line for DSP.) Because I can't live with the broken-by-design built-in ADB keyboard in all Apple laptops, Sony and IBM sold me laptops instead. If Apple fixes this problem, they will sell me a PowerBook next year; if they don't, I'll still be running OpenBSD on x86 hardware, and wishing I could use a Mac.