The FAQ 1.5 - What's new

Alex@arcfan.demon.co.uk AM> This may or may not be suitable for the FAQ - as it is a new Informix > development. It is being posted to Kerry - but I thought other people might > like to tell me I am wrong to whinge about this: I'd love to tell you you're wrong to whinge about this, but I can't. I agree with you. (Largely) [SNIP] AM> So for instance I am buying an ESQL-C developer's license. This will cost > me 235 pounds - which is a ridiculous price since I _only_ want > INet and I believe that should be free with the database server. Hmm. THe client software should be free with the server? But can't you just buy INet on its own? AM> But the catch is that the minimum assurance price is 200 pounds. > So I (the company) ends up paying 235 + 200 + VAT (VAT = UK Sales tax) AM> That is more than double the original quoted price! It does smack a bit of Oracle or Microsoft, doesn't it? AM> I may be naive but I think that if you buy a piece of software > you should be able to use it without paying extra for tech support > in the first few months. Yes, you may indeed be naive. It used to be like that in the PC world (because the market was so big that that kind of support could be absorbed). However, I believe Uncle Bill has just put the mockers on that as well. In Informix's defence, I must say that the kind of problems you get using a client-server / "real database" tool *can* be a lot more involved than what you can get on the PC side. Hence, they must charge people up-front for the expected stress. Allegedly. Still, we all have to make a buck, don't we? <sigh> Regards, billy.wheeler@digitech.co.za --- . SPEED 1.40 [NR] . But apart from that, Mrs Kennedy, how was the parade? ---- Digitec Online - South Africa Telnet: bbs.digitec.co.za or 196.11.62.106