Hi Paul,

Nice  email

Have a nice day

Regards
Leigh
From: delphi-boun...@delphi.org.nz [mailto:delphi-boun...@delphi.org.nz] On 
Behalf Of Paul A Norman
Sent: Saturday, 19 September 2009 1:09 p.m.
To: NZ Borland Developers Group - Delphi List
Subject: Re: [DUG] A change in upgrade policy coming from Embarcadero

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 
<rich...@developers-inc.co.nz<mailto:rich...@developers-inc.co.nz>>
2009/9/16 Paul A Norman 
<paul.a.nor...@gmail.com<mailto:paul.a.nor...@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<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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