Re: [ql-users] Software - was how to get QL2K
.. Geoff Wicks PS I was once told by a tutor on a training course, Your hallmark is constructive subversion. Yes! but we love (need?) it..and its siblings. John in Wales ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.quanta.org.uk/mailing.htm
Re: [ql-users] Software - was how to get QL2K
In a message dated 21/07/2004 19:00:38 GMT Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: A slightly late contribution to this debate. Firstly, Text87 could have done far more to improve their sales. £80 plus £25 - £30 for an essential printer driver for a piece of QL software 10 years old is an idiot price. Fred Toussi could have learnt from the PC (printer) world. Give the word processor away for a nominal price and make your money out of printer drivers and font utilities. Secondly, in the last few years, freeware has been far superior to commercial software. Think of the utilities for using the GD2 colours. Thirdly, isn't it time to start facing the realities of the QL community? Do we really need traders any more? They will all vanish anyway within 2 years. Shouldn't we plan for a smaller, but more technically expert QL community that is largely internet based? We do need traders of some sort - although no-one is buying software and there is no hardware to buy currently, except second hand. Traders are seen as a point of first contact to the outside world. Geoff Wicks PS I was once told by a tutor on a training course, Your hallmark is constructive subversion. Just a thought - if we are to make a software repository with copies of QL software (whether for general download or not), it would probably be easiest if they were stored in a particular format. Most software which is no longer available was only ever released on microdrive. Now FORMAT ram1_mdv1 can be used to make a fast sector copy of a microdrive. Presumably if we have the source code (is this one of yours Tony T ?) then we could amend this to make a direct sector copy from the ram image to a file which could then be opened within an emulator as if it were the original microdrive This might overcome some forms of copy protection (such as used on QL Pawn) and also would preclude the need to amend any of the software to work from disk -- Rich Mellor RWAP Services 35 Chantry Croft, Kinsley, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF9 5JH TEL: 01977 610509 Visit our website at URL:http://www.rwapsoftware.co.uk Stuck with ordinary dial up internet connection ?? Read our review of internet accelerators and broadband at: URL: http://www.rwapadventures.com/Services/reviews.html ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.quanta.org.uk/mailing.htm
Re: [ql-users] Software - was how to get QL2K
- Original Message - From: Roy wood [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [ql-users] how to get QL2K No slight to Marcel, but QPC2 is commercial and costs $$. UQLX is free. When it comes to computers I always try for the cheaper route, esp. with software. Hence I prefer MicroEmacs over QD, etc. Tim Swenson In some ways this is the reason that so many of the more commercial and innovative programmers left the QL scene when they did. In my conversations with the author of MasterSpy the reason he quit was that he had few sales. The same is true of the QLiberator team and Fred Toussi of Text 87 fame. I know we have this free versus commercial software from time to time here but it was a major factor in the demise of good commercial software for the QL. Unfortunately good free software has not filled that gap and most of those providing that have also upped sticks and left. -- A slightly late contribution to this debate. Firstly, Text87 could have done far more to improve their sales. £80 plus £25 - £30 for an essential printer driver for a piece of QL software 10 years old is an idiot price. Fred Toussi could have learnt from the PC (printer) world. Give the word processor away for a nominal price and make your money out of printer drivers and font utilities. Secondly, in the last few years, freeware has been far superior to commercial software. Think of the utilities for using the GD2 colours. Thirdly, isn't it time to start facing the realities of the QL community? Do we really need traders any more? They will all vanish anyway within 2 years. Shouldn't we plan for a smaller, but more technically expert QL community that is largely internet based? Geoff Wicks PS I was once told by a tutor on a training course, Your hallmark is constructive subversion. ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.quanta.org.uk/mailing.htm
Re: [ql-users] Software - was how to get QL2K
- Original Message - From: gwicks [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2004 2:59 PM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Software - was how to get QL2K hello Geoff, I must admit you are probably right: there is very little commercial potential left for the QL today in the for purpose market - (which was already the case soon after its launch because of a wrong marketing strategy) - as far as it goes for using it as a work horse. That is by the way a good comparison: Horses should have faded completely away from our world since the car started its triumphal procession into our modern age. However that did not happen. They are still around, less in number of course, and their today's owners do for certain not belong to the poor(!!!) On a website dedicated to sinclair's C5 vehicle I recently read a statement that it was probably Sinclair's failure not to market the C5 as a mean of recreation (because it is sooo much fun) from the start on but as a vehicle for work traffic. As far as it goes for purpose our today's world is completely dominated by products that were pushed in by perfect marketing (the so often blamed IBM PC, Microsoft Windows etc). They even work well, no doubt, but they are neither fascinating nor an intellectual challenge. Especially with Windows you have Megabytes of Software just to make your Computer run - almost no chance for a hobby user to even get started understanding the concepts. Although I must admit VB and VBA have something, forgive me - or not - for that statement. I think the QL and its operating system can be really attracting for a certain target group that wants to learn a bit about modern (YES: I said MODERN) concepts for operating systems. In addition the Motorola 68000 is an ideal system to play with - I really wonder why 'up to date' hardware systems, such as Sony's PSII have completely left that path of being friendly to the programmer... And what I wanna say on behalf of QLAY: no matter what anyone else says - it is a great software for experimenting purposes, it runs 68K machine code - isn't that breathtaking enough for a freeware (I know this is build upon UAE, but anyways) and even getting QLAYT to do what he/she wants can be an experience of success for the user . Finally I see the QL / QDOS still as an amazing conceptual thing. And that is maybe its only cmmercial chance. Greetings, Michael ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.quanta.org.uk/mailing.htm
