[DUG] A change in upgrade policy coming from Embarcadero

[Paul A Norman]

Dear Richard,

" I however, am a professional software developer."

I am sure that you are, infact from everything I have heard of you and your
work people should seriously consider looking at you and your consultancy
for any work espeically in areas  of complexity that need special expertise
in advanced programing.

What I am trying to address here is the changed busines model that the
Delphi Community is being asked to swallow hook line and sinker.  It is true
as you say that E need to make money. What we and they are needing to look
at is the model by which they wish to do so, realizing that we are their
cash cows!

Now what is a "profesional programmer", just one who receives their income
by invoicing directly for progranmming work?

I beleive that it includes any one who due to their vocation or occupation
needs to use programing as ancillory part of what they do and includes even
those of us who do not invoice directly for the work.  I infact never
invoice for what we do at all. in any way

I think it has been resaonibly well established here already that Borland's
problem was not its busines model, but project focuss.

A friend at Victoria University once explained to me that there were until
recently two main business models at work in the world.

The British and the American styles, (USA -  not Latin American as Latin
American  approaches are often very close to the NZ/Aussi way of thinking).

Now in New Zealand the main Telecommunications cell phone provider chose to
follow the USA model.
People felt too screwed down and not looked after and when a British based
firrm entered the market hundeds of thousands of us transfered over.

My friend explained that the genreal USA model is to offer the world and
then put blockages in the way of people getting the prize - the classic USA
Insurance comany type reputation best exemplifies this.
All that they (USA) followed in this regard has not really served the
American people or American busines community well,
obviously - witness the recent melt downs and the issues they need to face
and to sort it out longterm.

And a lot of that comes back to these basics that we are speaking of.

The British approach is to offer good service and backup and genrally keep
to it even if it hurts the balance sheet temporarily.  Reputation being
important.
Trusting that customer loyalty will be built and longterm profitablilty
assured.

 And I think that that is the ethos that many NZ programmers feel to follow
themselves.
So natrually we look for it in our Software House(s).

And it was found with Delphi and the genreal policies that surround it.
Remember that did not fail Delphi -- loosing focus of us developers and the
tolls we need fowled Borland
- hopefully E and its agents like you can learn from that.

Now obviously Dlephi in E's hands has a good future if we consumers of it
feel that our frends and associates **all over the world** will get a
British type back up then we will "for free"
promote the product as we all use to.

But in the absence of such deep felt assurance, look where the discusion has
gone on this thread.  No longer about Delphi so much but other languages.

Now I still maintain that it is not right for people to have to expect that
the eighteen monnth cycle that you speak of is incorporating the bug fixes
that should be for free.

Often I dont need new IDE features - just the last one to work properly.

Why shuold I have to pay what you say is 500 - 600 but it is pointed out is
$750 just to get bus fixes on the last thing I paid 700 -800 depending on
exchange rates?

If E are going to effectively be removing upgrade rights, then they need to
provide full on bug fixes for products with out people NEEDING to upgrade
just to get the IDE working properly.

To let that notion that has been floated here, slip pass would be silly for
us as consumerers.

I have raised my experience as a real example of  things and yet hope for a
good result that might genuinely encourage others.

Paul


2009/9/16 Richard Vowles <richard at developers-inc.co.nz>

> 2009/9/16 Paul A Norman <paul.a.norman at gmail.com>
>
>> And I have heard nothing until Richard in this Forum smirked
>> last night was I actually using 2005?
>> So is that the level of support and followup we can expect?
>>
>
> That was quite rude Paul.
>
> Paul, I am not, and have never been the reason you continue to use Delphi
> 2005. I am also not responsible for the quality of Delphi 2005 and given
> most people downgraded back to Delphi 7, find it hugely surprising you
> continue to use Delphi 2005. IMHO, Borland was responsible for Delphi 2005,
> CodeGear and Embarcadero have apologised enough for this version and have
> spent considerable time, money and effort to make subsequent versions that
> they actually own and are responsible for the best quality releases we have
> seen in a long time. But they are a business and need to make money. It is
> time to move on. I pay for my development tools and continue to invest in
> them - they are part of what I do to make myself a better developer and
> produce code more effectively for my customers. Tools, like time, training
> and all other effort is something you invest in IMHO, and if you feel the
> time you spend with a less than effective tool is worth more than the cost
> of upgrading to a product owned by a completely different, there is little I
> feel the need to do about it.
>
> I'm afraid $500-600 every 18 months for a new version of a Delphi Pro which
> provides such incredible value would be the least of my decision making
> points. Given I could delay that under current upgrade policy for years and
> still pay the same amount for an even greater jump in productivity and
> capability makes the cost of the upgrade, in my opinion, a no brainer. I
> however, am a professional software developer.
>
> Richard
>  --
> ---
> Richard Vowles, Technical Advisor
> Developers Inc Ltd
> web. http://www.developers-inc.co.nz
> ph. +64-9-3600231, mob. +64-275-467747, fax. +64-9-3600384
> skype. rvowles, LinkedIn, Twitter
>
>
>
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