From: discar@nosc.mil (Joe Discar)
Subject: Re: Some more misconceptions regarding OS/2 and NT
Organization: Naval Ocean Systems Center, San Diego
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 20:43:51 GMT

In article <1992Aug25.182317.10221@mksol.dseg.ti.com> mccall@mksol.dseg.ti.com (fred j mccall 575-3539) writes:
>
>>Then don't buy the software from Microsoft (period).  If you don't like
>>the SDK on CD-ROM, don't buy it.  If a lot of people don't buy it, 
>>the "market" will notice--and so will Microsoft.  However, I don't think
>>you'll find a whole lot of people who would want to buy a not-ready 
>>version of NT for $150 (consider duplication costs, shipping costs,
>>returns due to bad media, etc.).
>
>Frankly, I have some difficulty understanding all the hype about the
>whole thing in the first place.  I can't wait to see how much work
>people get to go back and do over during their product development
>cycle as Microsoft changes stuff under their feet as they add
>functionality and find that changes to what they already have out
>there are necessary.

Which is why Microsoft chose CD-ROM: documentation will undoubtably change,
as well as available function calls, etc.  As a pre-Beta release, change is
inevitable--but getting a first "hands on" look at the SDK can have
significant advantages for a developer who wishes to compete in that
market--like knowing "K&R" C was still beneficial even though the ANSI
standard wasn't yet completed.

Sure it will change.  In fact, they could quite easily rewrite the whole 
thing and send the "update" on the NEXT CD-ROM... and it will be 
manageable on the Developer's end (probably tick the developer off to no
end, too).


>
>>Put another way: if Microsoft charged $310.00 for the SDK (vice $70), but
>>THREW IN a CD-ROM drive--would you "play"?  
>
>Depends on what kind of drive it was.
>

Just a drive capable of reading the SDK.  In other words, say that Microsoft
sold the pre-Beta (quite despicable in the first place, but the practice
is working) for $310.00--and guaranteed updates for $69.00... in the 
process you gain a (albeit, perhaps low-quality) CD-ROM drive that you
can (though it's unlikely) dedicate to your NT development... $310 for
a development kit IS JUST NOT THAT MUCH MONEY.

>>I personally find $69 for an
>>SDK (including documentation(!) online) attractive.  
>
>I might if it were a complete Beta, but it isn't.  Right now, I find
>the idea of paying for what amounts to a pre-Alpha development
>environment almost insulting.  I consider being required to buy new
>hardware to read it to be even worse.

True.  It isn't.  But once upon a time, a developer had to be (more or less)
*priviledged* to be able to beta software.  There had been times when I
would gladly pay a C-note for such a "priviledged" status... of course, times
change.... and now we can buy the status for a paltry $69 bucks.

>>If a developer doesn't
>>feel like spending a one-time cost for a drive to read the disk, then he
>>can wait until the "real" release, eh?
>
>Or not buy it at all.  This is one of the many ways that Microsoft
>loses themselves customers.  Perhaps one day they'll figure out that
>THEY are in the business of selling US things, so THEY should be the
>ones trying to please US.

Which is fine.  Every business in america weighs the "return on investment"
possibilities.  If purchasing a CD-ROM and getting a first look at NT--and
a first crack at developing for it--is not considered a significant 
advantage, then fine: if NT fails, no harm.  If NT takes off and overshadows
all other OS's (like a BusinessWeek last month predicts)... then the 
business has lost its competetive edge and must play catch-up... not a
show-stopping loss, but a major irritant.  The question for the business,
of course, is whether the $310 cost for drive and CD is worth risking--and
that is what each of us has to answer in his own way.