Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!sunybcs!canisius!elgie
From: elgie@canisius.UUCP (Bill Elgie)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec
Subject: Re: DECstation 3100 **really** wants to be a rainbow.
Keywords: login
Message-ID: <2573@canisius.UUCP>
Date: 12 Nov 89 07:20:05 GMT
References: <4903@yunexus.UUCP> <474@shodha.dec.com>
Organization: Canisius College, Buffalo N.Y. 14208
Lines: 28

In article <474@shodha.dec.com>, alan@shodha.dec.com ( Alan's Home for Wayward Notes File.) writes:
> 
  (In response to questions about DEC's two-user limit on ULTRIX licenses and
   DEC's charges for "upgrading" it):

> 	I can't speak for DIGITAL.  For an official answer contact
> 	your local sales office.  I suspect that if we had a choice
> 	in the matter, there wouldn't be a limit.
> 
> 	No, it's an old contractual requirement with AT&T.  The
> 	base system is a 2-user system.  Upgrades are avialable
> 	for 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 and 64+ users.  The expense varies
> 	according to the number of users and covers the royalties
> 	that we pay back to AT&T.

  I am not arguing with DEC's attempts at making a profit on license sales. But
  I do object to the ongoing campaign of its employees to pretend that the li-
  cense limits and "update" charges for ULTRIX are AT&T's fault and gain.  This
  is nonsense: DEC charges a tremendous markup over AT&T's royalties.  AT&T's
  royalty schedules have been presented in several publications lately and one
  only has to compare this to DEC's prices to see that this is true.

  Beyond the high "upgrade" costs, DEC also practices a double-charge scheme if
  one wishes to upgrade again, later.  That is, an n-user "upgrade" is always
  calculated and counted from a single-user license, regardless of what one has
  already purchased/paid for.  I have been told that this will be changed...

  greg pavlov (under borrowed account), fstrf, amherst, ny