Regardless of what anyone thinks, for a business to make any real money, basing it on purely license revenue is ultimately a dead-end street.
Professional Services is a way around this, but that can have scalability issues and - if your product isn't that tough to install, configure, customize - then the sale of consulting services is tougher.
Selling your software as an enabler to streamline the business is another option, i.e. instead of selling the bells and whistles sell what the product does for an organization and indicate that the reason why you are able to do this is that your company has "x" software that no other company has along with the domain expertise.
There are other strategies I'm sure people can come up with.
The real question isn't whether they will address them. The real question is how will they address them.
Being an 18-year developer I realize that I will probably get pummeled for saying this, but has anyone on the Firefox team that may be reading this looked at AppSight for root-cause analysis with respect to problem resolution?
Although I had to, as a matter of necessity for OS/2 has been dying for years now, switch to Windows development in 1996, my OS/2 experience opened up significant doors for me professionally.
I can't believe the level of disinformation about the OS that I'm reading in here now, several years after the facts were clarified and disseminated. I'd love to dispell these preconceived "un-notions" but - let's face it - what's the point?
OS/2 will never be Open Source. That's a shame, but a sad reality. Microsoft undoubtedly has a very good IP foothold on the source, in spite of the fact that their level of involvement starting from version 2.0 was basically limited to contributing the HPFS.
Yes, Microsoft went very far in their attempts to stiffle OS/2 development. I recall one story where an MS employee told one of my colleagues (when I was still in IBM's research division) point blank that it should have been impossible for OS/2 to support SMP because they specifically designed portions of the kernel to prevent that. (On a side note, we could never get any hard evidence regarding this to use against them in court.)
There are other anecdotal stories about MS vs. IBM vis-a-vis OS/2 development, but in the end it's all just a bunch of good popcorn stories.
We tried to tell IBM's Marketing Team the same thing when I worked there in 1990 and I was fired as a result of pissing them off one too many times. (You don't think that calling marketing folks idiots has any effect on their temperment, do you?:D)
Every IBM'er involved with the technical aspects of OS/2 knew what you said in your post, but the ones that controlled the marketing budget were clueless.
Graphics card manufacturers make reference drivers only. After that, it's the responsibility of the OEM or OS manufacturer to ensure that the specific implementation of the drivers for the target OS's contain all of the features necessary.
In other words, I think you're barking up the wrong tree.
And I suppose that BSP sprang forth from the head of Zeus?
He's a scientist as much as he is an engineer because I'm sure that, in his position, he is responsible for the development of new means of achieving realistic results from nVidia's product line. Sure, he doesn't develop the actual algorithms, but I'm sure he can explain every one of them to us in..graphic detail (pun fully intended).
With IBM's recent (over the past year or two) forays into the realms of OSS, I wouldn't be surprised if GCC were given the ability to generate PPC code by IBMers if the rest of the Internet doesn't want to do it any longer.
More accurately, I'm sure it would happen. It's just a question of whether it would be released to the public or not. Since IBM has been vying for mindshare on the OSS front, it's almost a given that they would assume responsibility for PPC generation in GCC if it were dropped.
Speaking as a former IBM Research employee (and one who was also courted by Intel some years ago), I'd have to say that you have no basis on which you make your observations.
I'm not saying you are incorrect, though. I'm simply saying that your statement "Honestly, you don't think Intel's got some hot stuff they'd like to put in a desktop, but can't right now?" applies just as readily to IBM.
I know. I saw some of the stuff that was happening there.
I used to work on a LARGE printer (printed directly to custom cardboard boxes). The printheads were made by Marsh printing (~400 just to have them repacked) and was bigger than my fist. (can you see me clenching).
Does that mean when they had to replace those print heads that it was called "fisting?":D:D:D
Interesting point. I'm wondering now: does Kinkos offer a means of remotely printing, i.e. you upload an EPS (for example) to their website, choose the location and number of copies, and have them waiting for you when you arrive to pay for them and leave?
If not, this sounds like it could be a good business opportunity.
The moral of the Ken Thompson story is to never trust anyone who looks like the Unabomber.
I met Ken once when he came to speak about Plan-9 at the IBM Research Center in Yorktown Heights, NY. His resemblence to Jerry Garcia sans house was quite surprising.
Actually, I do. There's this great magazine called "Consumer Reports" in circulation. I highly recommend that you take a look at it sometime.
Oh. And I also ask my friends who may own a car of the same model or make for their opinions. I neglected to mention that.
When buying software, I would argue that many of the more expensive packages offer evaluation / demo versions that allow you to legally "try before you buy" the software, to see if it suits your needs. This is your proverbial "test drive" of the product.
If someone had totalled up the number of applications, utils, and games, there is no way I could have even afforded 10 percent of that. (I actually did buy what I liked, but to put me on the figurative hook for half-hour glances at packages, well, that's dumb).
Yeah, God help you if you had to actually do some research and see what the magazine-based reviews or even your peers had to say about the software before you decided whether you wanted to buy it.
Do you buy your vehicles by test-driving a stolen one first to see if you like it?
Your point is well taken, but I have a minor nit with the specifics: just like shutting down 12 warez sites will probably have little effect in the long run, so would catching UBL have a little effect in the long run. Al-Zarqawi is still doing considerably more damage than UBL is, because UBL is too busy trying to find the next rest stop for his dialysis.
Even if you did catch Al-Zarqawi, it still would have little effect because - as someone so blithely mentioned earlier - the whole terrorism infrastructure is like the proverbial hydra. Capture or kill the leader and another will just as quickly spring into their place.
How do you say "Saddam Hussein?" Is Iraq any better off now?
Obligatory on-topic item: regardless of what we may think, pirating software is illegal. So we can bitch and moan about the morality of high game prices, etc. but I say you should maybe quit playing games so much and get a better job than your pizza delivery route so that you can afford to pay the prices they're charging.:D:D:D
Saying that Carmack doesn't know how to build a truly engaging game is like saying that Lucas doesn't know how to write a truly engaging script. [Rolls eyes]
I did. I don't think the author has much experience with real demons. Wouldn't one expect a little stealth and chicanery from an extra-dimensional being? I mean, the fangs and claws are just the parts of it that happen to land in the easily-perceptible parts of the EM spectrum. Demons fuck with you. It's what they are. Extradimensional beings that fuck with us.
id is indeed doomed because Carmack is going to die in a freak space plane mishap.
In all seriousness - I can't believe I get to use this example twice in one day - the Microchannel Architecture that IBM touted was orders of magnitude better than the existing ISA architecture (BetaMax vs. VHS, etc. drek etc.) but still lost to ISA because IBM made it too expensive to license the architecture, meaning that card manufacturers doubled the prices, meaning that no one wanted to use it for cost reasons.
If id is making games that require people to spend $500-$1000 or more on new hardware or complete systems just to play the game then they are doomed. GGs to Carmack and crew though for some great technology. Now, pass me my HL2 CD, thanks.
Slashdot Mirror
Regardless of what anyone thinks, for a business to make any real money, basing it on purely license revenue is ultimately a dead-end street.
Professional Services is a way around this, but that can have scalability issues and - if your product isn't that tough to install, configure, customize - then the sale of consulting services is tougher.
Selling your software as an enabler to streamline the business is another option, i.e. instead of selling the bells and whistles sell what the product does for an organization and indicate that the reason why you are able to do this is that your company has "x" software that no other company has along with the domain expertise.
There are other strategies I'm sure people can come up with.
There's no better use for a Rootkit in my opinion. Just ask Sony about invisible DRM. :D
...I now present the XXXBox! :P
Being an 18-year developer I realize that I will probably get pummeled for saying this, but has anyone on the Firefox team that may be reading this looked at AppSight for root-cause analysis with respect to problem resolution?
This event saddens me.
Although I had to, as a matter of necessity for OS/2 has been dying for years now, switch to Windows development in 1996, my OS/2 experience opened up significant doors for me professionally.
I can't believe the level of disinformation about the OS that I'm reading in here now, several years after the facts were clarified and disseminated. I'd love to dispell these preconceived "un-notions" but - let's face it - what's the point?
OS/2 will never be Open Source. That's a shame, but a sad reality. Microsoft undoubtedly has a very good IP foothold on the source, in spite of the fact that their level of involvement starting from version 2.0 was basically limited to contributing the HPFS.
Yes, Microsoft went very far in their attempts to stiffle OS/2 development. I recall one story where an MS employee told one of my colleagues (when I was still in IBM's research division) point blank that it should have been impossible for OS/2 to support SMP because they specifically designed portions of the kernel to prevent that. (On a side note, we could never get any hard evidence regarding this to use against them in court.)
There are other anecdotal stories about MS vs. IBM vis-a-vis OS/2 development, but in the end it's all just a bunch of good popcorn stories.
Exactly.
:D)
We tried to tell IBM's Marketing Team the same thing when I worked there in 1990 and I was fired as a result of pissing them off one too many times. (You don't think that calling marketing folks idiots has any effect on their temperment, do you?
Every IBM'er involved with the technical aspects of OS/2 knew what you said in your post, but the ones that controlled the marketing budget were clueless.
Yes. Or any other shortcut key intensive application. (But I like the way you think, as I am a Cubase SX user.)
I'm still drooling over the eye candy.
In other words, I think you're barking up the wrong tree.
He's a scientist as much as he is an engineer because I'm sure that, in his position, he is responsible for the development of new means of achieving realistic results from nVidia's product line. Sure, he doesn't develop the actual algorithms, but I'm sure he can explain every one of them to us in..graphic detail (pun fully intended).
Doom 3 is like a prostitute. You may think she looks good if you squint but the only memorable thing about her is that her play sucks.
It takes a village...worth's pile of shit to completely hit this thing.
More accurately, I'm sure it would happen. It's just a question of whether it would be released to the public or not. Since IBM has been vying for mindshare on the OSS front, it's almost a given that they would assume responsibility for PPC generation in GCC if it were dropped.
I'm not saying you are incorrect, though. I'm simply saying that your statement "Honestly, you don't think Intel's got some hot stuff they'd like to put in a desktop, but can't right now?" applies just as readily to IBM.
I know. I saw some of the stuff that was happening there.
Slashdot is affected by the newly released Win32.DupBot trojan that was installed through a backdoor created by Ken Thompson.
Does that mean when they had to replace those print heads that it was called "fisting?" :D :D :D
If not, this sounds like it could be a good business opportunity.
I met Ken once when he came to speak about Plan-9 at the IBM Research Center in Yorktown Heights, NY. His resemblence to Jerry Garcia sans house was quite surprising.
Still, he's a smart geek.
Oh. And I also ask my friends who may own a car of the same model or make for their opinions. I neglected to mention that.
When buying software, I would argue that many of the more expensive packages offer evaluation / demo versions that allow you to legally "try before you buy" the software, to see if it suits your needs. This is your proverbial "test drive" of the product.
Yeah, God help you if you had to actually do some research and see what the magazine-based reviews or even your peers had to say about the software before you decided whether you wanted to buy it.
Do you buy your vehicles by test-driving a stolen one first to see if you like it?
Even if you did catch Al-Zarqawi, it still would have little effect because - as someone so blithely mentioned earlier - the whole terrorism infrastructure is like the proverbial hydra. Capture or kill the leader and another will just as quickly spring into their place.
How do you say "Saddam Hussein?" Is Iraq any better off now?
Obligatory on-topic item: regardless of what we may think, pirating software is illegal. So we can bitch and moan about the morality of high game prices, etc. but I say you should maybe quit playing games so much and get a better job than your pizza delivery route so that you can afford to pay the prices they're charging. :D :D :D
Saying that Carmack doesn't know how to build a truly engaging game is like saying that Lucas doesn't know how to write a truly engaging script. [Rolls eyes]
Having problems with the wife again, are we?
In all seriousness - I can't believe I get to use this example twice in one day - the Microchannel Architecture that IBM touted was orders of magnitude better than the existing ISA architecture (BetaMax vs. VHS, etc. drek etc.) but still lost to ISA because IBM made it too expensive to license the architecture, meaning that card manufacturers doubled the prices, meaning that no one wanted to use it for cost reasons.
If id is making games that require people to spend $500-$1000 or more on new hardware or complete systems just to play the game then they are doomed. GGs to Carmack and crew though for some great technology. Now, pass me my HL2 CD, thanks.
[Sniff sniff]
I smell..
[Sniff sniff]
I smell the MCA architecture all over again.
A Transitanic Chip.