To say that Flex derives no revenue from the SDR-1000 isn't totally true. I believe the SDR-1000 put them on the map in the first place. The company success was made possible by the SDR-1000 because there was nothing out there like it. Additionally, there are hundreds (or even thousands) of SDR-1000 users out there who are still very happy with their radios. Happy customers translate into company sales. Perhaps not directly but there is a relationship.
Edwin Marzan AB2VW > Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2010 20:39:23 -0400 > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > CC: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [FlexEdge] Changes at FlexRadio > > On Wed, Jul 21, 2010 at 7:36 PM, Paul Shaffer <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > FlexRadio Systems was born of open source software... > > > > Hello, I have not read any of the replies to this entry, > > and I may 180 out of phase with the other customers... > > I'm a little bit negative towards the thrust of your post. > > I have an sdr-1000 and at this point don't plan on buying > > any more Flex radio products. The obsolescence of the > > sdr-1000 has not been handled in a very graceful manner > > in my opinion and my programming bugs and suggestions have been > > ignored. > > > Well, the SDR-1000 was supplanted by the Flex 5000 several years ago. Still, > the software upgrades continue to support the SDR-1000 and if your SDR-1000 > breaks it appears that Flex will still fix it for you. That seems pretty > reasonable for a legacy product. I bet they continue to support it for 5 > years after its replacement hit the streets. That seems eminently fair to > me. That is at least as good as the other radio manufacturers. > > But I can see it from Flex's side of things too. They derive no revenue from > the SDR-1000 anymore and they are a small company. Supporting the SDR-1000 > is a total loss for them. And I can see them not spending time on software > enhancements for the SDR-1000 for the same reason. But it does seem that I > have seen bug fixes and enhancements in the two years or so I have been > hanging out here. It is not as if you have been left hanging in the wind. > Now it might not be the full support that the Flex xxxx owners are getting > but it far and away better than nothing. > > > > I never got any support for the product through > > the official email channel, but only on the reflector. > > > > Don't you think that is kind of a moot point? Dudley and the rest do support > for all the radios on the reflector. I have seen Dudley, Tim, Gerald, Steve, > Eric, and even Bob answering people's questions. Sure sounds like official > support to me. And if it gets too fiddly they usually say call them or they > will call. > > > > Since I'm a programmer, in future I plan to challenge you > > as per the open source GPL provisions on the licenses. > > > > I was just watching the email exchange on the topic and it appears that Flex > is going to maintain the SVN repository available for now and make source > available on all the GPL-licensed bits on an as-request basis. That seems to > fit within the letter of the license terms. > > > > I hate that this is turning into an almost adversarial > > confrontation with a corporation. > > > > It sure looks to me like you are the one turning it adversarial. I > understand your frustration if you are a hard-core, open-software person, > but I don't get the feeling that Flex has totally abandoned the SDR-1000 > population, nor does it appear that they are going to bypass the letter of > GPL. > > -- > Brian Lloyd, WB6RQN/J79BPL > 3191 Western Dr. > Cameron Park, CA 95682 > [email protected] > +1.767.617.1365 (Dominica) > +1.931.492.6776 (USA) > (+1.931.4.WB6RQN) > _______________________________________________ > Flexedge mailing list > [email protected] > http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexedge_flex-radio.biz > This is the FlexRadio Systems e-mail Reflector called FlexEdge. It is used > for posting topics related to SDR software development and experimentalist > who are using beta versions of the software. _________________________________________________________________ The New Busy is not the old busy. Search, chat and e-mail from your inbox. http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?ocid=PID28326::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WM_HMP:042010_3 _______________________________________________ Flexedge mailing list [email protected] http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexedge_flex-radio.biz This is the FlexRadio Systems e-mail Reflector called FlexEdge. It is used for posting topics related to SDR software development and experimentalist who are using beta versions of the software.
