> by the financial types. Looks like I'm stuck with P99SEsp6, warts and all,
> until that next entrepeneur gets going. Hmmm, my degree is in computer
> science (I started out doing mostly programming), and I've now got a lot
of
> experience designing PC boards so I also know the user side of things.
Maybe
> a new business opportunity here.....

OK, Steve, assuming you did so, how long would it be before you get "bought
out" by the big boys with their bean counters, lawyers, and marketdroids?
;-)

But seriously, if you do so, please target it for Linux.  I don't know how
much longer I will be using Windows.  I suppose the next time I have to
upgrade CAD hardware (2+ years I hope), or W2K loses it's usefulness, and
Wine or Win4Lin becomes nearly bulletproof I'll make the complete switch to
Linux.  As it is now, I've got one Linux box running as an internet gateway
and Samba server.  It's great.  Now if Linux could just get more
desktop-friendly.

Note that just because you write an app for Linux does not mean your app has
to be open source.  So you *could* make money on it and not have to give
your code away to the world.  But please make the file formats publicly
documented!

Too bad Protel is going the way of "BIG Corp."  I bought my first version of
Protel in 1996 because it was such a good value for the money.  For the most
part, I like Protel.  But prepaid maintenance/upgrade plans are a no-go,
IMO.  I don't do that for any other software, so what makes Protel think
I'll do it for theirs?  That's one reason why I didn't choose Pads, Cadstar,
Pcad, etc.  Besides, I detest the inappropriate use of the word
"maintenance" as applied to software.  Software doesn't break or wear out!
In this context, maintenance really means "fix a product that was sold as
faulty".  Maybe Protel sees what Microsoft is doing with their Software
Assurance prepaid upgrade plan.  Don't emulate Microsoft!  It's true that
Microsoft is huge and has $40B of cash, but they didn't get that way on the
Software Assurance plan they are now trying to foist on us!

Best regards,
Ivan Baggett
Bagotronix Inc.
website:  www.bagotronix.com


----- Original Message -----
From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Protel EDA Forum" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2002 8:02 AM
Subject: Re: [PEDA] Protel DXP beta testing


> As much as I would like to believe otherwise, it seems that Protel has
gone
> the way of so many other technology companies - the initial few real sharp
> individuals with vision became successful enough at what they set out to
do,
> to become targets for the financial "wizards", and now the company is
driven
> by the bean-counters, and will shortly be crying that it's lost market
share
> and it can't stay afloat, layoffs, govt bailouts, etc. Within a short
time,
> though, will come another entrepeneur who recognizes the void which Protel
> has left, and fills it with tools which advance the state of the art, at a
> price which fits the vast numbers of small shops which have been
overlooked
> by the financial types. Looks like I'm stuck with P99SEsp6, warts and all,
> until that next entrepeneur gets going. Hmmm, my degree is in computer
> science (I started out doing mostly programming), and I've now got a lot
of
> experience designing PC boards so I also know the user side of things.
Maybe
> a new business opportunity here.....
>
> Steve Hendrix


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