Bill,
if anyone wants to use QNX NC runtime and development systems illegal,
why should he buy a pre-installed system from you and even pay for it?
Also, NC is different from SE and PE, so you can’t be sure that a
NC application will run on a commercial runtime …
BTW, can you really controll whether all VARs or OEMs are paying for
each installed license?
Should QNX stop the NC version because of it can be used illegal?
If NC wouldn’t exist, be sure there will always be some guys with
criminal energy who will find a way to patch the 30 day version, make
a copy from a “friend” or an University or whatever version, etc.
The main question is whether QSSL can make more business with runtime
CD versions and reach additional markets into which they can sell!
I’m very sure that a well working application on top of a rock solid
runtime would create the motivation to work more with this OS …
( → SE, PE)
Satisfaction of customers as well as acceptable sales and price
strategies leads also to more business…
BTW, when you want to resell pre-installed PC-systems, may be you should
read the EULAs of such a new runtime version at first 
For my understanding according the current QNX4, SE and PE license
agreements, no VARs or OEMs are allowed to install QNX Runtimes on any
hardware w/o own software or applications !!!
Also, the case that non pre-installed runtimes will be needed for “stand
alone” Target systems w/o QNX C-application was never considered in
their agreements.
As long as QNX4 runtime systems were delivered together with diskettes
or CDs, most users didn’t realize it
Please, stop dreaming … Rennie was talking about additional $15
added to the price of the runtime
BTW, did you hear about support hotlines from other OS vendors?
Have a look to common practice in the market …
Cheers,
Jutta
Bill Caroselli wrote:
I would love QSSL to sell runtimes only too. But there is a very practicle
problem.
If someone buys something, they have right to expact a certain amoutn of
support. So if I were to write a super-automated grmip frizzle and tell my
potnetial customers all they need is a runnning QNX system to install my
product, they may think that they can go out and spend $15 to buy a QNX
runtime system. Now, when they get their CD, just imagine if it didn’t
install right out of the box!?!?!?!? So they try to call QSSL for help? If
QSSL has to answer the phone just once they already lost money on the deal.
I wouldn’t blame QSSL for not fielding those calls.
On the other hand, if I could buy say 20 indivudual runtimes, I could tell
people that they could buy their PC from me with a ligimate copy of QNX
installed. Then I would be responsible to the support on those 20
individual systems. If I am charging enough for my grimp frizzles, then
that is a responsibility that I may be willing to accept.
If my grimp frizzles start selling like hotcakes then I might but 100 copies
the next time, then 500, then who knows!
BTW, I wouldn’t expact QSSL to sell as few as 20 copies for $15. But I
would say that $499 for 1 copy is reasonable. But 10 or more copies and the
price drops to $249 (hell, even I can afford $2490 for somethins tha I can
resell). Say 50 copies drops to $199, etc., etc.
QSSL, I have services that I can sell if the runtime only cost me $249!!!
Now let’s consider the alternative. I start selling my grimp frizzles and
tell people that they need a running QNX system. It’s not too hard to
figure out that they can down load the NC version for free. Then they can
buy my CD adn install it on their system and have a fully functional system.
THEY may be violating the QSSL Non-Comercial terms of the EULA. But that’s
not for me to determine. If they send me a check I’m going to send them a
GF CD. If don’t ask, don’t tell works in the military, then it works for me
too.
BTW, Grimp Frizzles CDs are on sale now for only $79 US. Get yours while
supplies last!
“Rennie Allen” <> rallen@csical.com> > wrote in message
news:bg9pns$8p1$> 1@tiger.openqnx.com> …
Just so you know. This is something that we would buy if it wasn’t too
much extra.
Right now (we are in exactly the same business as Armin) we write our
own installer, since there isn’t an easy to use existing installer
available with the runtime. Maintaining and enhancing our installer costs
us money, and we’d rather not do it, and we’d pay something to not have
to, but we wouldn’t pay too much. I’m just pulling a figure out of thin
air here, but I’d guess that we wouldn’t be willing to pay more than about
$10-$15 above the baseline QNX6 runtime cost for an installer (which is
really what we’re talking here). I would think that if we can afford to
make our own installer for less than around $15 dollars per runtime with
our volumes, that QSS could actually make money charging an extra $10-$15
per runtime at the aggregate volumes of all users like us.
Basically the momentics installer, with a stripped down .qpr to install a
basic OS only, and provided on CD would be great.
