Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!uc!nic.MR.NET!ns!hughes
From: hughes@ns.network.com (Jim Hughes x1676)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: Re: What price C++ ???
Keywords: C++, money, marketing, sales
Message-ID: <1477@ns.network.com>
Date: 30 Jun 89 22:32:05 GMT
References: <50@eileen.samsung.com> <5668@pbhyf.PacBell.COM>
Sender: hughes@ns.network.com (Jim Hughes x1676)
Reply-To: hughes@ns.UUCP (Jim Hughes x1676)
Organization: Network Systems Corporation
Lines: 46


I feel quite let down.  I like C++, I use C++.  I HAD to
buy the source for C++ to get the tasking library working.

I, like Bjarne, wanted to do discrete simulations in a C style
language, but in a language with SIMULA class structures.  I am
now using C++ and can not go back to SIMULA.

The pricing structure is basically to allow AT&T to make money from
people who are making money from selling C++ to end users.  I have
no problem with AT&T getting a proper return on their investment.

I, however, am an end user.  I have one C++ licence.  I am NEVER
going to sell a copy.  As a matter of fact, I don't care about
the source for cfront and munch.  I am also running C++ on a
machine where object code C++ is available for 1/2 the price
I paid for the source.

All I really care about is the libC source.

I feel that for AT&T to ask $20,000 for the C++ (since
I have a license, they only want $10K, thanks for the break chump)
from someone who wants the source to insure that problems with
the library doesn't stop development is robbery.  For god
sake, I want to help make the product better.

Since AT&T's actions, I am forced to continue to use 1.2 until 
Sun (a $1 billion corp) finds the time to port 2.0.  I have problems
which I know for a fact are solved in 2.0.  It would be a waste of
time for me to fix these bugs in an obsolete compiler. 

My corporation has a Unix source licence.  We do not port Unix.
We use that licence to work on bugs.  We payed AT&T $40K for that
license.  Are you telling me that C++ is 1/2 of all Unix?!

I have told this to my AT&T rep, and it fell on deaf ears.  He
(more likely his bosses) are too busy counting their commisions
to notice that a large population which can (does) help them
is being locked out.

Jim Hughes
Hughes@network.com

(Network Systems Corporations is not affiliated with the 
Network Systems division of AT&T.  NSC is a netowrking company
which markets HYPERchannel.  These are my personal FLAMING opinions.)