[Info-vax] : Welcome to lockdown - HP limiting access to patches

[JF Mezei]

Perhaps an alternative direction would be to ask HP to give "free"
access to patches to an organisation who could then distribute them to
hobbyists users. Some form of authentication would be required to ensure
that they are not distributed to commercial users.

>From HP's point of view: a VAX/Alpha customer not buying support from HP
doesn't generate any revenue for HP.

And consider the fact that anyone still on VAX or Alpha is not so likely
to upgrade hardware, the odds of making money from them are low. So
cutting off access to patches may not cost HP any current or future
customers.

On the other hand, cutting off access to patches isn't going to generate
any new revenues. Those currently not paying support contracts from HP
is not likely to start paying them to get patches. This is likely just
to try to make the value of buying support LOOK better.

A bit like Qantas decided to stop allowing coach passengers to
pre-select seats, so that it would make the value of business and first
class tickets look better since they now had an additional thing that
coach pax didn't have.