omega wrote: > Good question. First things poped up - challenge, some missing > functionality, expensive commercial solution..etc. > Now, thinking when you mention "no prior connection to the QL" - it's > even more obvious that pulling someone from outside to start developing > new apps / hw for QL without giving him everything he needs is hardly > possible. Some of the reasons: > - Black QL is useless without expansions > - Expansion cards are not being sold, modern QL software requires at > least SGC, SMSQ > - Expensive software (Qliberator 50UKP, EasyPtr 41.5UKP, QPTR 30UKP..etc) > - Lack of documentation or needs to be purchased
Well, the only item on this list within my hands is EasyPtr and if you only halve knew how much work it was to create v4 (I am not the original author of v1-v3), you'd pity me and gladly pay twice as much ;-) In this case I consider the money "compensation for pain and suffering" in a very real sense. (Somewhat) joking aside, one reason some products of mine are still commercial is that the traders, who in the past were a very strong force in the QL scene that held the community together, have something to sell. As simple as that. If they completely lose interest this could be quite bad for the QL scene, too. But as George said, in most cases there are alternatives. Instead of Qliberator (which is only commercial as the original copyright holder cannot be gotten hold of or something like that), Turbo is a fine free and very well maintenanced alternative. Finally, in the past I've given away products like QPC2 etc for free to people I thought could use it to help the QL. Not much came out of it, unfortunately. Still, I do see your point. But I don't think there is very much I can do about it :( Marcel _______________________________________________ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
