[Info-vax] A new suggestion to handle the temporary production licences problem

[Bill Gunshannon]

On 6/3/21 9:43 AM, Dave Froble wrote:
> On 6/3/2021 6:24 AM, Andrew Brehm wrote:
>> On 02/06/2021 15:56, Jan-Erik Söderholm wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Perhaps the easiest distinction between commercial and
>>>>>> non-commercial use is system specs.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Make OpenVMS freely available to everyone and let it use up to 4
>>>>>> cores and up to 8 GB of RAM for free, then demand payment for more.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> This will allow everyone to use VMS for development and testing and
>>>>>> will make serious customers pay. Likewise, if VSI goes away or
>>>>>> someone forgets to renew support, VMS would simply collapse to
>>>>>> using 4 cores and 8 GB only, keeping production system running but
>>>>>> very slowly...
>>>>>
>>>>> We have 1 core and 4 GB RAM, and the system is quite fast.
>>>>> And I do not consider a system supporting production in the main
>>>>> factory of a leading producer of forrest/garden equipment, as "small".
>>>>>
>>>>> So no, I do not beleive in that solution.
>>>>
>>>> I don't think there will be too many systems like that in the near
>>>> future. As cores and memory become cheaper and cheaper, systems with
>>>> 1 core and 4 GB of RAM will become a faint memory.
>>>
>>> You select the config that is "good enough". And why wouldn't you if
>>> you get it for free. Is it not that all 1 or 2 CPU Alphas suddenly
>>> need a 4+ CPU/core system that is also way faster per core.
>>
>> 1 or 2 CPU Alphas are probably not in scope for new OpenVMS versions.
>>
>>> No, I do not beleive in your suggestion.
>>
>> It's not a question of belief. I just think it is a better solution than
>> VSI's current idea.
> 
> Well, just about anything is better than the current VSI direction.
> 
> I also do not think much of your suggestion.  Too complex.  Made for 
> lawyers.
> 

I think beancounters are a much bigger threat than lawyers.  Whatever
finally becomes the business model for VMS the most important feature
it needs is to not be another argument for moving off of VMS.

bill