[DUG] FYI Oracle make free entry level 4Gb user database availalable

[Paul Heinz]

  "Oracle Database 10g Express Edition (Oracle Database XE) is an
entry-level, small-footprint database based on the Oracle Database 10g
Release 2 code base that's free to develop, deploy, and distribute; fast to
download; and simple to administer. Oracle Database XE is a great starter
database for:
    a.. Developers working on PHP, Java, .NET, and Open Source applications
    b.. DBAs who need a free, starter database for training and deployment
    c.. Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and hardware vendors who want a
starter database to distribute free of charge
    d.. Educational institutions and students who need a free database for
their curriculum
  "With Oracle Database XE, currently available as a Beta release for
Windows and Linux, you can now develop and deploy applications with a
powerful, proven, industry-leading infrastructure, and then upgrade when
necessary without costly and complex migrations. A production release is
scheduled for late 2005.
  "Oracle Database XE can be installed on any size host machine with any
number of CPUs, but this free version of the world's leading database will
store up to 4GB of user data, use up to 1GB of memory, and use one CPU on
the host machine.
Ah, yes. But do read the fine print i.e. the license agreement,

BETA TRIAL LICENSE: Oracle Corporation ("Oracle") grants to you a no-charge
trial license to use the pre-production beta version of the Oracle Database
Express Edition  software, documentation and product training (the
"Software")  provided to you by Oracle solely for evaluation purposes until
January 31, 2006.   Either party may terminate the license for the Software
at any time.  Upon termination, you shall cease using the Software.  You
will ensure that all your personnel who may access and/or use the Software
during the trial period specified above will comply with the terms of this
agreement. You also agree that your organization will be responsible for any
breach of the terms of this agreement by all personnel who may access and/or
use the Software.  Any feedback or other information you provide Oracle
relating to the Software shall be received and treated by Oracle on a
non-confidential and unrestricted basis ("Feedback"), and Oracle shall have
a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive, perpetual, and irrevocable right
to use Feedback for any purpose, including but not limited to, incorporation
of such Feedback into the Software or other software products. You may not
use the Software for any commercial or production purpose. You shall not:
(a) remove any product identification, copyright notices, or other notices
or proprietary restrictions from the Software; (b) use the Software for
commercial timesharing, rental, or service bureau use; (c) cause or permit
reverse engineering, disassembly, or decompilation of the Software; (d)
disclose results of any benchmark tests of any Software to any third party
without Oracle's prior written approval; (e) duplicate and/or install the
Software other than as permitted under this agreement; or (f) assign or
purport to assign the rights or obligations under this agreement. All dates
provided during the pre-production beta trial period are subject to change.
During the pre-production beta trial period, you are licensed to use all
features of the Software under the terms of this agreement. Unless otherwise
provided as an update to customers in accordance with Oracle's technical
support services, if and when the Software is released in production, you
may acquire licenses for the production version of the Software in
accordance with Oracle's then standard licensing and pricing terms and
conditions (which, at Oracle's sole discretion, may allow license of only
some rather than all of the features of the Software).

Now, this license will likely change when the final XE product ships but
this is Oracle we are talking about here, and it will always be
free-as-in-beer (and only as far as Oracle likes it), not free-as-in-speech.

This is aimed directly at MS SQL Server Express Edition and MySQL et al. and
is Oracle playing for time trying to slow down the commoditisation of the
database market whilst it attempts to transition to being an Applications
provider (i.e. Oracle Financials + PeopleSoft +  JD Edwards + Siebel + Retek
= 'It's the apps, stupid!")

TTFN,
  Paul.

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